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The Ruins Framed in Marble
RUSSELL SAGE
FOUN DATION
SAN FRANCISCO
RELIEF SURVEY
THE ORGANIZATION AND METHODS OF RELIEF
USED AFTER THE EARTHQUAKE AND
FIRE OF APRIL 18, 1906
COMPILED FROM STUDIES BY
CHARLES J. O'CONNOR
FRANCIS H. McLEAN
HELEN SWETT ARTIEDA
JAMES MARVIN MOTLEY
JESSICA PE I XOTTO
MARY ROBERTS COOLIDGE
NEW YORK
SURVEY ASSOCIATES, INC
MCMXIII
Copyright, 191 3, by
The Russell Sage Foundation
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1(12
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•••••••*-- . '• " .^c
PRESS OF WM. F. FELL CO.
PHILADELPHIA
PREFACE
THIS Relief Survey is a compilation of studies made for
the Russell Sage Foundation by a group of persons each
specially qualified to conduct the inquiry and to analyze
the issue. The contributors are:
Part 1. Charles J. O'Connor, Ph.D., secretary of the Board of
Trustees of Relief and Red Cross Funds, who was appointed on the
relief force soon after the disaster.
Part 11. Francis H. McLean, now secretary of the American
Association of Societies for Organizing Charity; at the time of the
study, field secretary of the Charity Organization Department of
the Russell Sage Foundation. - He was superintendent for the
RehabiHtation Committee in July and August, 1906.
Part III. Helen Swett (now Mrs. Gregorio Artieda), who
was secretary of Sub-Committee VI, the business committee of
the Rehabilitation Committee, from its organization November i ,
1906; before that date connected with the Associated Charities
of Oakland, California. Now resident of the People's Place settle-
ment, San Francisco.
Part IV. James Marvin Motley, Ph.D., now associate
professor of economics at Brown University; at the time of the
investigation, assistant professor of economics at Leland Stanford
Junior University.
Part V. Jessica Peixotto, Ph.D., assistant professor of
social economics, University of California, and a member of the
Central Council of the Associated Charities of San Francisco.
Part VI. Mary Roberts Coolidge, formerly associate professor
of sociology, Leland Stanford Junior University; reviser of Warner's
American Charities ; author of Almshouse Women, and other works.
When the six separate studies were completed, a perplexing
situation was disclosed. The purpose in preparing the survey was
to offer a book of ready reference for use on occasions of special
iii
PREFACE
emergency. The six studies would have formed a set of volumes
valuable as a contribution to the literature of relief work but not
adapted to the particular purpose in view. It therefore became
necessary to condense the studies at the cost of cutting out ma-
terial. In order to preserve certain facts in proper sequence,
subject matter in a few instances has been transposed from one
part to another.
The authors of the various parts have wished to express
their appreciation of the help rendered by university colleagues
and students. A study made by Lilian Brandt of the first regis-
tration after she had worked at relief headquarters in the late
spring and early summer of 1906, has been used in part. An article
by Colonel C. A. Devol, extracts from which appear in Appendix
I, furnished valuable data concerning the part taken by the army,
especially in receiving and distributing the relief supplies. Chari-
ties and the Commons has been drawn upon for data from articles
which have not been noted in the text because their authors were
so a part of the relief work itself that specific mention seemed un-
called for.
The statistics of this volume require, perhaps, a word of
explanation. The quantitative material upon which the study
is so largely based is derived from records, many of which were
compiled in haste and under great pressure of work. The record
forms themselves were properly devised primarily to aid the relief
workers in abating distress, rather than as possible sources of
social statistics to be compiled at some future time; and it
was necessary to entrust the filling out of the records to persons
most of whom were wholly without experience in work of this
character. The data for the several parts of the study were, more-
over, compiled by a number of persons working quite independ-
ently of one another.
Under these circumstances it is but natural that there should
have been embodied in the report various minor inaccuracies and
some real or apparent inconsistencies. Every possible efi^ort
has been made, in preparing the material for publication, to cor-
rect errors, to remove inconsistencies, and to harmonize the plan
of statistical presentation as far as this could be accomplished by
means of the information available.
iv
PREFACE
No attempt has been made to present a comprehensive state-
ment covering the complete disposition of the ReHef Funds. It is
understood that such a statement will be prepared under the direc-
tion of the Board of Trustees of Relief and Red Cross Funds.
The figures showing receipts and disbursements, which appear in
this volume, have been presented solely because of their bearing
on the relief problems dealt with, and not by way of an accounting.
V
INTRODUCTION
THE San Francisco earthquake and resultant fire ranks with
the great catastrophes of the world's history. Compara-
tively insignificant as was the list of the killed and injured,
the annihilation of the business section of the city and of the
most thickly populated residence districts brought to the bread
line virtually the city's whole population. The response of the
nation and of other nations was in proportion to the magnitude of
the disaster.
By a series of favoring circumstances the administration of
the large fund donated fell into^the hands of a committee, after-
wards transformed into a corporation, on which were some of
San Francisco's ablest and broadest-minded men of affairs, as well
as representatives of the rejuvenated and re-organized American
National Red Cross. How at first the distinguished services of
Dr. Edward T. Devine as the representative of the American
National Red Cross were utilized by the local committee, and later,
the no less valuable services of Ernest P. Bicknell, is told in the
following pages along with the account of the splendid part played
by the United States Army.
If for no other reason than that the disaster was of tremendous
proportions, with relief funds correspondingly large, the value of
an intensive study of the problems, methods, and results of the
relief work must be very great. No such intensive study of any
other American disaster of like proportions has been made. The
report of the Chicago Relief and Aid Society on the relief work of
the Chicago fire is the nearest approach. If one, however, reads
that report he will find it to be largely a description of general
methods with a thorough accounting of expenditures. The value
of such an investigation as this Relief Survey inheres not only in
the fact that no previous intensive study has been made of any
large disaster but also in the fact that the time and the persons
vii
INTRODUCTION
engaged combined to give the San Francisco relief work excep-
tional significance.
Since the Chicago fire, in this, as in other civiHzed countries,
there has been a rapid evolution of social thought and action. We
have become impatient of philanthropic endeavors that do not
promise permanently to better conditions. 1 n the field of relief we
are discounting mere almsgiving and are fighting for constructive
treatment and permanent betterment, which often involve larger
relief expenditures. I n serious disasters, from the Chicago fire to the
San Francisco earthquake and conflagration, this spirit has more
and more characterized the relief work. The idea that all moneys
should be spent merely to keep the victims of a disaster from the
starvation and exposure which confront them in the weeks immedi-
ately following the catastrophe is directly opposed to the spirit
of modern relief measures. In other words, the idea of rehabilita-
tion, of giving to those who have been left with the least a reason-
able lift on the road to a recovery of the standard of living main-
tained before the disaster, constantly has grown clearer and more
definite, a natural fructifying of the modern philosophy of charity.
Attention was given to rehabilitation after the Chicago fire
by a special committee on housing and by one on "giving aid to
persons in the purchase of tools, machinery, furniture, fixtures,
or professional books." A large part of this special work of relief
consisted in aiding destitute sewing women who had lost their
machines to obtain others. But in San Francisco we find the first
large attempt to emphasize and develop rehabilitation.*
The circumstances that so happily combined to magnify the
principle of rehabilitation have already been alluded to. Funds
of generous proportions, capable army officers, the reorganized
Red Cross, and an exceptional group of keen and broad-minded
San Francisco business men, — the last a group which knew its
own mind but was willing to take the advice and accept the
assistance of experienced social workers, — constituted a force per-
meated by the spirit of modern philanthropy which wrought out
the first large undertaking in rehabilitation in the United States.
* For relative expenditures for rehabilitation compare the figures in the
Relief Survey with those given in the Report of the Chicago Relief and Aid
Society of Disbursements of Contributions for the Sufferers by the Chicago Fire,
1874, Chapter XII.
viii
INTRODUCTION
' Having made clear the reasons for this ReHef Survey, let
us consider its several parts.
Part 1 presents a general picture of the emergency period
following the fire, together with a description of the structure
of the relief organization and the different phases through which
it passed. This part serves as a background for the rehabilitation
studies that follow.
Part II is a presentation of the methods of rehabilitation,
followed by some facts obtained from a tabulation of the case
records of the Rehabilitation Committee.
Two of the most important forms of rehabilitation, business
and housing, are analyzed in detail in Parts III and IV. These
parts illustrate methods, and they also show actual results of
rehabilitation, which were learned by following into their homes
at a later period a certain number of the families helped.
A study of the families under care of the Associated Charities
since the work of the Rehabilitation Committee ceased gives the
data for Part V. This was made to determine the character of the
dependency, how much was due to the disaster itself, how much to
faulty rehabilitation work, how much was inevitable. The work
of the Associated Charities is indeed only a prolongation of the
rehabilitation effort.
The last inquiry. Part VI, was into that saddest and least
hopeful of all forms of rehabilitation, the permanent care of the
aged and infirm. To call it rehabilitation seems a misnomer.
The methods, the number of persons involved, their character,
and other items are considered. Also the attempt is made to de-
termine how far present dependence was inevitable, or accelerated,
or actually caused by the change of circumstances due to the fire
and to the additional burdens put upon relatives and friends who
in the ordinary course of events would themselves have assumed
the duty.
This summary reveals not alone what these studies contain
but also what they omit. They do not comprise a complete
history of the San Francisco relief work. A bird's-eye view of
that work is given in the Sixth Annual Report of the American
National Red Cross. They present, rather, certain important and
significant phases of rehabilitation with a sketch of the organiza-
ix
INTRODUCTION
tion Structure. And they present these not primarily for any
reason of historical interest but in the hope that they may help
concretely and suggestively in solving problems of family rehabili-
tation in connection with disasters, small and large, which in the
future may confront the American National Red Cross, citizens'
committees, and relief agencies of every kind.
The full measure of results cannot be given in this Relief Sur-
vey. The acumen of no group of investigators, no matter how broad
in their sympathies, or how trained to their work, can probe to the
heart of a community to find the main arteries through which it has
drawn its full life. The people were sound at the core. They had
an instinct for adventure. Their own sanity, their self-reliance
and faith in the future made them ready to rebound from fortune's
sudden blow. But in the wearying days that followed in the wake
of the first efforts at recuperation, the adventurous spirit flagged
under the strain and the ugliness of life. It was then that the city
called on men whom it had bred, to uphold the courage and main-
tain the spirit of independence of its weaker citizens. The men
who responded because they treasured San Francisco, their city,
have shown, as this study proves, what sustained and co-operative
eff'ort can achieve.
^
TABLE OF CONTENTS
(A detailed Table of Contents precedes each part)
PAGE
Preface
Ill
Introduction
• •
Vll
List of Illustrations
XV
List of Tables
xvii
Diagram of Organization
XXV
Map
Opposite 3
Part I
ORGANIZING THE FORCE AND EMERGENCY METHODS
I. Organizing a Relief Force *.
(i) The Disaster, 3. (2) Tentative Organization, 8. (3)
Uniting of Relief Forces, 11. (4) Beginnings of Rehabilita-
tion Work, 13. (5) An Interlude, 19. (6) Incorporation of
the Funds, 25.
II. Methods of Distribution . . . . . . .
(i) Sources of Contributions, 30. (2) Distribution of Food,
36. (3) Distributionof Clothing, 55. (4) Furnishing Trans-
portation, 58. (5) Providing Shelter, 69. (6) Safeguarding
Health, 89. (7) Relieving the Japanese and Chinese, 94.
III. Questions of Finance
30
96
(i) Claims, 96. (2) System of Accounting — A Note, 98. (3)
The Control of Donations, 99.
Part II
REHABILITATION
I. Beginnings of Rehabilitation 107
(i) General Policy, 107. (2) Periods of Rehabilitation
Work, III.
II. Methods of Work 113
(i) The District System, 1 13. (2) The Centralized System,
124. (3) Withdrawal, 133. (4) Concluding Remarks, 135.
xi
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
III. Calls for Special Forms of Service . . . . .137
(i) Relations with Auxiliary Societies, 137. (2) Rehabilita-
tion of Institutions, 141. (3) Bureauof Special Relief, 145.
IV. What the Rehabilitation Records Show . . . .151
(1) Introductory, 151. (2) Social Data and Total Grants
and Refusals, 152. (3) Principal and Subsidiary Grants, 157.
(4) The Re-opening of Cases to make Further Grants, 160.
(5) Variations in Amounts of Grants, and Refusals, 165.
Part III
BUSINESS REHABILITATION
I. The People Aided and the Results Obtained . . .171
(i) The Plan Itself, 171. (2) TheStudy of Results, 173. (3)
The Families and Individuals Aided, 174. (4) Changes in
Family and Business Life, 176. (5) Occupations, 183. (6)
Homogeneity of Grantees, 185. (7) Results of Business Re-
habilitation, 186. (8) Reasons for Success and Failure, 187.
II. Analysis by Occupations, Study of Refusals, and Sum-
mary 196
(i) Success or Failure in Relation to Occupations, 196. (2)
Study of Refusals, 208. (3) Summary of the Results of Busi-
ness Rehabilitation, 210.
Part IV
HOUSING REHABILITATION
I. General Plan of Housing Work 215
(i) Introductory, 215. (2) Retrospective, 216. (3) The
General Plan, 218.
n. The Camp Cottages .221
(i) General Cost, 221. (2) Families Occupying the Cot-
tages, 223. (3) Wages and Occupations, 226. (4) Housing
Before and After the Fire, 229. (5) Two Cottage Settle-
ments, 234. (6) Brief Comments, 237.
III. The Bonus Plan 239
(i) The Plan Itself, 239. (2) Bonus Recipients, 240. (3)
Occupations and Resources, 244. (4) The Houses — Character
and Cost, 248. (5) Brief Comments, 231.
xii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
IV. The Grant and Loan Plan 25^
(i) The Plan Itself, 253. (2) Relation Between the Depart-
ment of Lands and Buildings and the Housing Committee,
256. (3) The Number Aided and the Cost, 257. (4) Families
Making Use of the Grants and Loans, 259. (5) Occupations
and Resources, 262. (6) Housing Before and After the Fire,
266. (7) Status of Loans in 1909 and 191 1 and Additional
Aid, 271. (8) Cases of Expensive Building, 273. (9) Brief
Comments, 276.
General Conclusions on Housing Plans ..... 277
Part V
RELIEF WORK OF THE ASSOCIATED CHARITIES
From June, 1907, to June, 1909
I. The Nature of the Cases 281
(i) Introductory, 281. (2) Nature of the Dependency, 282.
(3) Social Character of the Cases, 286. (4) Occupations of
Applicants, 294.
11. The Methods of Relief Employed 298
(i) Reapplications, 298. (2) Emergent Relief, 299. (3)
Permanent Relief, 305. (4) Relief Refused, 310. (5) Con-
clusions, 314. (6) The Associated Charities Since the Fire,
317-
Part VI
THE RESIDUUM OF RELIEF
The Aged, The Infirm, and The Handicapped
I. I ngleside Model Camp 321
(i) History of its Establishment, 321. (2) Administration,
324. (3) General Statistics, 327. _^
II. Relief and Non-Relief Cases 335
(i) General Analysis, 335. (2) Applicants and Non-Appli-
cants for Relief and Rehabilitation, 336.
III. Results 356
SOME LESSONS OF THE RELIEF SURVEY
Part I. Organization and the Emergency Period .... 369
Part II. Rehabilitation 370
Part III. Business Rehabilitation 371
xiii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
Part IV. Housing Rehabilitation 371
Part V. After-Care 372
Part VI. The Aged and Infirm 372
APPENDICES
1. DOCUMENTS AND ORDERS 375
(i) List of Members Finance Committee of Relief and Red
Cross Funds and its Permanent Committees, 377. (2)
General Orders No. 18, 379. (3) Extracts from the Army
in the San Francisco Disaster, 383. (4) Letter from General
Greely to James D. Phelan, 387. (5) Plan of the Executive
Commission, 391. (6) Original Housing Plan, 394. (7) The
Incorporation of the Funds, 398. (8) Appointment of Board
of Trustees Relief and Red Cross Funds, February, 1909, 401.
(9) List of Official Camps, 404. (10) Grants to Charitable
Organizations: A. By Denominations and Nature of Work,
B. By Denominations, 405. (11) Rehabilitation Committee:
Details of Administration, 406. (12) General Plan of Hous- _
ing Committee, 417. (13) Statistics from Associated Chari-
ties, 419.
II. FORMS AND CIRCULARS 423
First registration card (Face), p. 425. First registration card
(Reverse), p. 426. Food card (Face and Reverse), p. 427.
Second registration card (Face), p. 428. Second registration
card (Reverse), p. 429. Tent record sheet, p. 430. Camp
commander's report sheet, p. 431. Rehabilitation Com-
mittee: Report form, p. 432; Paster, p. 433; Circular, p. 434;
Application blank, p. 435; Circular letter of inquiry, p. 436;
Bureau of Special Relief: Recommendation form, p. 437;
Report form, p. 438; Medical service form, p. 439; Order form
A, p. 440; Order form B, p. 441 ; Bureau of Hospitals: Hos-
pital report sheet, p. 442. Application forms for business re-
habilitation, p. 443. Application for bonus, p. 447. Land
and Building Department, Notice, 448. Application for
housing grant, p. 449.
XIV
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
PAGE
The Ruins framed in Marble ...... Frontispiece
The Morning of the Disaster 4
Striving to reach the ferry
In Union Square, soon to be swept by flames
The Hall of Justice 9
Refugees in Jefferson Square 14
Watching the fire
The fire draws near
Supplying Food under Difficulties 20
The first bakery rebuilt
A cheerful kitchen
Camp No. 10, Potrero District 28
Tent camp, opened May 9, 1906
Cottages ^
Relieving the Hungry . . 36
All classes joined the bread line
Soldiers gave aid and protection
Fires in Houses were Prohibited . .40
Preparing meals in the street
A row of street kitchens
Distribution of Relief Supplies 46
The bread line, Mission District
Relief station. Mission District
Hot Meal Kitchens . 50
An open air dining room
In Golden Gate Park
Warehouse for Second Hand Clothing . . » . . . 57
Camps in Golden Gate Park 70
An administration headquarters
Camp No. 6, The Speedway, showing barracks
Early Shelters in Jefferson Square 74
Shelters of sheets and quilts
Tents and shacks
Camp No. 9, Lobos Square 78
Tent camp, opened May 9, 1906
Cottages
Camp No. 20, Hamilton Square 81
Camp No. 28, South Park 85
Tanks for Sterilizing Water, Lobos Square Camp .... 94
Two Cottage Camps no
Camp No. 25, Richmond District, opened November 20, 1906
Camp No. 29, Mission Park, opened November 19, 1906
XV
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
FACING
PAGE
Headquarters, Departmenl of Relief and Rehabilitation . . .119
Early Business Ventures 128
Barber shop, and shack constructed of boxes
A drinking place
Camp Cottages used for Business 178
A plumber's new start
Laundry and residence
Business Rehabilitation 188
Cigar store of an Italian cripple
Store owned by a German-Swiss couple
Business Rehabilitation 198
Owner aided by a Rehabilitation Grant and money privately loaned
Hat maker aided by a Rehabilitation Grant
View from Nob Hill looking toward Harbor and Ferry Building.
Taken one year after the fire, April 18, 1907 .... 207
Cottage Homes a year after removal 215
in the land of flowers
A simple but cosy home
Homes from Camp Cottages 218
Substantial and weatherproof
Commodious and attractive
Camp No. 13, Franklin Square 221
Camp Cottages after Removal 226
A janitor's comfortable home
Improved at small expense
Camp Cottages at Hill Crest 230
Where the trade winds blow
In full view of the Pacific
Beginnings of a Cottage Settlement 234
First cottages in Villa Maria
The proprietor and his family
Camp Cottages on a Suburban Tract 237
Bonus Houses 240
Home built by a letter carrier
Home of an elderly U. S. Government employe. Bonus, $250
Bonus Houses 245
Built by Italians. Bonuses $500 each
Home of two Italian families
A widow's venture. Bonus $500
Bonus Houses 250
Two ambitious dwellings built with aid of bonuses
Built with bonus of $500 and money privately loaned
Headquarters Department of L.ands and Buildings .... 257
Grant and Loan Houses 262
Built by the owner with insurance money and a grant of $250
Built by a teamster with grant of $250 and money privately loaned
Grant and Loan Houses 268
Built by the Housing Committee
Built by the owner, who had some resources
Three Methods of Housing Rehabilitation 275
xvi
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
FACING
PAGE
Telegraph Hill and Washington Square 286
Completely devastated. First tents in Washington Square
Partly rebuilt. Cottages in Washington Square
Telegraph Hill Largely Rebuilt . . . . . . . .291
Washington Square Camp 294
Removal from the Camp 300
1. The start
2. Well under way
3. Joining two cottages
4. The completed dwelling
Home for the Aged and Infirm (The ''Relief Home'*) . . . 307
Ingleside Model Camp ' 323
Ingleside Model Camp 330
The reading room
The sewing room
Ingleside Model Camp 340
The kitchen
The dining room
"Portals of the Past'' . . . ' 361
xvii
LIST OF TABLES
33
PART I. EMERGENCY METHODS
TABLE . . PAGE
1. Cash receipts of the Finance Committee of Relief and Red
Cross Funds, and its successor, The Corporation, to June i,
1909
2. Cash contributions for the relief of San Francisco, to June i,
1909, received by the Finance Committee of Relief and Red
Cross Funds, and its successor, The Corporation, and by
American National Red Cross, by country of origin .
3. Disposition of cash contributed for the relief of San Francisco
through the American National Red Cross, to June i, 1909
4. Character of location, origin, and dates of opening and closing
of relief stations of Civil Section VI
5. Relief stations in the seven civil sections on May 3 and on June
3, 1906
6. Daily issues of rations from April 19 to May 12, 1906 .
7. Families and individuals registered in the seven civil sections.
May, 1906
8. Meals served by hot meal kitchens, from May to October, 1906,
inclusive . .
9. Free and paid meals served by hot meal kitchens on specified
dates in 1906
10. Expenditures of San Francisco Relief and Red Cross Funds for
purchase and distribution of food, to May 29, 1 909 .
1 1. Persons to whom rations were issued in May and June, 1906 .
12. Persons carried from San Francisco as free passengers by the
Southern Pacific Railroad, from April 18 to April 26, 1906 .
13. Destination of persons sent from San Francisco by the trans-
portation committee, from April 26 to May 10, 1906, in-
14. Persons sent from San Francisco, by period and by general
destination, April 26, 1906, to June, 1908
15. Terms of transportation of persons sent from San Francisco in
second and third periods
16. Destination of persons sent from San Francisco in second and
third periods
17. Value at reduced rates of transportation furnished through the
committee
18. Housing of registered families, by civil sections. May, 1906.
Numbers
19. Housing of registered families, by civil sections. Percentages,
based on the total number of families whose addresses in
May, 1906, were given 72
xix
34
35
41
42
43
45
51
52
53
53
58
66
67
68
68
69
72
LIST OF TABLES
TABLB PAGE
20. Nationality of population of San Francisco in 1900, compared
with nationality of heads of families among refugees in 1906 75
21. Nationality of heads of families among refugees, by civil sec-
tions, May, 1906. Numbers 76
22. Nationality of heads of families among refugees, by civil sec-
tions, May, 1906. Percentages based on the total number
of cases in which information as to nativity was available 76
23. Ejectments from camps during the entire period of the relief
work, by months 80
24. Reasons for ejectments from camps during the entire period of
relief work 80
25. Population of official camps, exclusive of Ingleside Model Camp,
from May, 1906, to June, 1908, inclusive .... 81
26. Cost of camps during the entire period of the relief work . . 87
27. Disposal of claims acted upon by the department of bills and
demands, to March 16, 1907 97
28. Payments upon claims acted upon by the department of bills
and demands, to March 16, 1907 98
PART n. REHABILITATION
29. Estimate of amount required for carrying on work of relief,
presented August 16, 1906 121
30. Reasons for the refusal of grants to certain societies, to May 1 1,
1907 • . • 145
31. A. Amount expended monthly by Bureau of Special Relief for
all purposes from August 15, 1906, to June 30, 1907 . . 148
B. Amount expended by Bureau of Special Relief for adminis-
tration and for supplies from August 15, 1906, to June 30,
1907 148
32. Disposal of applications for rehabilitation following investigation 1 52
33. Disposal of applications for rehabilitation, by nature of applica-
tion 153
34. Applicants for rehabilitation, by age, and by nature and disposal
of application 153
35. Applicants for rehabilitation, by domestic status and by nature
of application 154
36. Applicants handicapped by personal misfortunes or defects . . 155
37. Applicants affected by handicaps of each specified kind . .155
38. Number of persons in families of applicants for rehabilitation 156
39. Families among the applicants for rehabilitation with children,
by number of children under fourteen years of age in each
family . 156
40. Number of principal and subsidiary grants, by nature of grants 1 57
41. Amount of principal and subsidiary grants, by nature of grants 158
42. Amounts given to applicants receiving $500 or more, by nature
of principal grant 159
43. Applications for relief passed upon by sub-committees and by
the Rehabilitation Committee, without action by a sub-
committee, in the period from November i, 1906, to April
I, 1907, by nature of the application 160
XX
LIST OF TABLES
TABLE - * PAGE
44. Number of re-opened cases by nature of first grant . . .161
45. Grants for rehabilitation by amount and by nature of relief given 165
46. Grants and refusals to applicants who possessed resources, by
amount of resources . . . . . . . . .167
47. Reasons for refusal of rehabilitation, by nature of application 168
PART in. BUSINESS REHABILITATION
48. Nativity of heads of families receiving business rehabilitation . 175
49. Conjugal condition of family groups receiving business rehabili-
tation . . 175
50. Changes in family composition between period before fire and
the re-visit in 120 families receiving business rehabilitation 177
5 1 . Nature of premises occupied and of rentals paid before and after
the fire, by families receiving business rehabilitation . .178
52. Residence rentals paid, before and after the fire, by 94 families
receiving business rehabilitation, who paid rentals for sepa-
rate residential quarters in both periods 179
53. Number of rooms in residences occupied before and after the fire,
by 94 families receiving business rehabilitation, who paid
rentals for separate residential quarters in both periods . 180
54. Business rentals paid, before and after the fire, by 74 families
receiving business rehabilitation, who paid rentals for sepa-
rate business quarters in both periods 181
55. Combined business and residential rentals paid, before and after
the fire, by 285 families receiving business rehabilitation,
who paid combined rentals in both periods . . . .182
56. Proposed occupation of applicants receiving business rehabilita-
tion 184
57. Business and employment status at the time of the re-visit, of
applicants receiving business rehabilitation . . . .186
58. Business status at the time of the re-visit of applicants receiving
business rehabilitation, by health of families . . . .193
59. Amount of grants to and of capital available for applicants re-
ceiving business rehabilitation 194
60. Business status at the time of the re-visit of applicants receiving
business rehabilitation, by occupations 196
61 . Business status at the time of the re-visit of applicants receiving
business rehabilitation for personal and domestic service,
by size of grants and amount of capital 201
62. Business status at the time of the re-visit of applicants receiving
business rehabilitation for trade, by size of grants and amount
of capital 207
PART IV. HOUSING REHABILITATION
63. Houses erected by or with the aid of the San Francisco Relief
and Red Cross Funds, by style of houses or plan under
which relief was given 219
xxi
LIST OF TABLES
64. Expenditures for housing made by the Finance Committee of
Relief and Red Cross Funds, by the San Francisco Relief
and Red Cross Funds, a Corporation, and by the United
States Army from congressional appropriation, from April,
1906, to June, 1909 220
65. Nationality of applicants receiving aid under the cottage
plan 223
66. Conjugal condition of families receiving aid under the cottage
plan 224
67. Ages of applicants receiving aid under the cottage plan . . 225
68. Occupation before the fire, of 4 1 5 of the men in families receiving
aid under the cottage plan 226
69. Estimated monthly wages received before the fire by the 380
men who worked for wages, in the families receiving aid
under the cottage plan 227
70. Estimated yearly incomes before and after the fire of families
receiving aid under the cottage plan 228
71. Types of houses occupied before the fire by families receiving
aid under the cottage plan 230
72. Number of rooms per family occupied before the fire by families
receiving aid under the cottage plan 230
73. Costs incurred, by or in behalf of applicants, for cottages oc-
cupied by families receiving aid under the cottage plan . . 232
74. Nationality of applicants receiving aid under the bonus plan . 24 1
75. Conjugal condition of families receiving aid under the bonus
plan 242
76. Ages of applicants receiving aid under the bonus plan . . . 243
77. Occupations before the fire of 433 men in families receiving aid
under the bonus plan 244
78. Value of lots owned before the fire by applicants receiving aid
under the bonus plan 246
79. Indebtedness carried before and after the fire by families receiv-
ing aid under the bonus plan 247
80. Cost of houses rebuilt after the fire by applicants receiving aid
under the bonus plan 249
81. Number of rooms in houses owned before the fire and in houses
rebuilt after the fire by applicants receiving aid under the
bonus plan 249
82. Number of rooms per family occupied before and after the fire by
families receiving aid under the bonus plan .... 250
83. Style of 543 houses built by the housing committee for appli-
cants receiving aid under the grant and loan plan . . 258
84. Nationality of applicants receiving aid under the grant and loan
plan 259
85. Conjugal condition of families receiving aid under the grant and
loan plan 260
86. Ages of applicants receiving aid under the grant and loan plan 261
87. Monthly income before and after the fire of men receiving
aid under the grant and loan plan who were in business
before the fire 262
xxii
LIST OF TABLES
TABLg . . . PAGE
88. Monthly income before and after the fire ot women in families
receiving aid under the grant and loan plan .... 264
89. Value of lots purchased after the fire by 670 applicants receiving
aid under the grant and loan plan . . ... . . 266
90. Number of rooms per family occupied before and after the fire
by families receiving aid under the grant and loan plan . 267
91. Value of houses owned before and after the fire by applicants
receiving aid under the grant and loan plan .... 269
92. Monthly rentals paid before the fire by families receiving aid
under the grant and loan plan 270
93. Status on January i, 191 1, of loans to families receiving aid
under the grant and loan plan 272
94. Additional aid from the relief funds given to families receiving
aid under the grant and loan plan 273
95. Amount of additional grants from the Relief Funds made to
families receiving aid under the grant and loan plan . . 273
PART v. RELIEF WORK OF THE ASSOCIATED CHARITIES
96. Number of applications to the Associated Charities for assis-
tance, by months. 1908 and 1909 284
97. Associated Charities cases classified as having lived or not
having lived in the burned area, and by number aided, and
number refused aid. June i, 1907, to June i, 1909 . . 285
98. Nativity of applicants for relief from Associated Charities, be-
fore fire and after fire 287
99. Family types among applicants for relief from Associated Chari-
ties, before fire and after fire 288
100. Age of principal breadwinner in families applying for relief from
Associated Charities. June i, 1907, to June i, 1909 . . 290
1 01. Age of principal breadwinner in families applying for relief
from Associated Charities, before fire and after fire, by
family type 290
102. Age of principal breadwinner in families that had been burned
out applying for relief from Associated Charities, by na-
tivity and rehabilitation record. June i, 1907-June i, 1909 291
103. Number of children in families having children applying for
relief from Associated Charities, before fire and after fire 292
104. Causes of disability among applicants for relief from Associated
Charities, before fire and after fire 293
105. Applicants for relief from Associated Charities classified by
general occupations, as refugees with and without rehabili-
tation record, and as non-refugees, June i, 1907, to
June I, 1909 294
106. General occupations of applicants for relief from Associated
Charities, before fire and after fire 295
107. Size of grants made by the Rehabilitation Committee, before
June I, 1907, to applicants for relief who afterwards applied
for relief from the Associated Charities 299
108. Emergency and temporary relief given in money or in orders by
Associated Charities June i, 1907, to June i, 1909 . . 300
xxiii
LIST OF TABLES
TABLB PAGE
109. Expenditure by Associated Charities for care of sick, in addition
to aid from Red Cross Funds. June i, 1907, to June i, 1909 301
1 10. Grants and pensions of $50 and over given by the Associated
Charities 306
111. Applicants for aid from the Associated Charities to whom aid
was refused, classified as having lived or not having lived
in the burned area. June i, 1907-June i, 1909 . . .310
1 12. Reasons for not giving aid from Associated Charities to appli-
cants 313
PART VI. THE RESIDUUM OF RELIEF (iNGLESIDE MODEL CAMP)
1 1 3. I nmates of 1 ngleside Model Camp by conjugal condition and sex 328
114. Conjugal condition of inmates of I ngleside Model Camp, com-
pared with conjugal condition of inmates of all almshouses
of the United States in 1903-4 and of the general population
of California 15 years of age and over, in 1900 . . . 329
1 1 5. Age distribution of inmates of I ngleside Model Camp, compared
with age distribution of inmates of San Francisco alms-
house during a ten-year period, and of inmates of all alms-
houses of the United States, in 1903-4 330
1 16. Nativity of inmates of Ingleside Model Camp, compared with
nativity of inmates of San Francisco almshouse during a
ten-year period, and of the general population of the city and
county of San Francisco in 1900 331
117. Occupations of inmates of Ingleside Model Camp . . . 332
1 18. Family relations of inmates of Ingleside Model Camp . . 335
119. Inmates of Ingleside Model Camp classified as families and
single and widowed men and women and as applicants to
San Francisco Relief and Red Cross Funds, applicants to
Associated Charities, and non-applicants .... 336
120. Single and widowed inmates of Ingleside Model Camp applying
to the San Francisco Relief and Red Cross Funds for Re-
habilitation, by nature of rehabilitation applied for . . 344
121. Disabled single and widowed inmates of Ingleside Model Camp
who did not apply for rehabilitation, by sex and nature of
disability 353
122. Subsequent history of single and widowed inmates of Ingleside
Model Camp, who did not apply for rehabilitation, by sex 354
123. Proportion of almshouse inmates and of almshouse admissions
to total population, San Francisco, 1890, 1900, 1905, and
1909 356
XXIV
ORGANIZATION OF THE RELIEF WORK
Showing committees, departments, and bureaus created from April i8, 1906, to
February 4, 1909 *
THE ARMY,
April 18, 1906
Under the Division Commander
Inspector General
Depot Quartermaster (transportation
of supplies)
Depot Commissary (issuance of food)
Subordinate Officers in Charge of
Warehouses
Chief Sanitary Officer
Military Chairmen of the Sevefi
Civil Sections
Bureau of Consolidated Relief Sta-
tions
Hot Food Stations
Superintendents of Relief Stations
(also called food stations)
Commander of Official Camps
Commanders of Several Camps
CITIZENS' COMMITTEE,
April 18, 1906
Finance Committee,
April 18, 1906
Committee of Supervising
Purchasing Committee
Auditing Committee
Committee on Hospitals
of
AMER. NAT. RED
CROSS, April 23, 1906
Special Representative
Seven Civil Chairmen
the Civil Sections
Staff at Headquarters
Registration Bureau
Employment Bureau
Special Relief and Re-
habilitation Bureau
Transportation Bureau
Emergency Committees Appointed
BY THE Citizens' Committee,
April 18, 1906
Transportation of Ref-
ugees
Relief of Hungry
Housing the Homeless
Roofing the Home-
less
Drugs and Medical Sup-
plies
Relief of Sick and
Wounded
Care in Hospitals
Relief of Chinese
FINANCE COMMITTEE OF RELIEF & RED CROSS
FUNDS, April 24, 1906
Executive Commission, June 22, 1906
Seven Civil Chairmen
Committee on Relief Warehouses
Committee on Camps
Committee on Complaints
Committee on Municipal Departments
Committee on Sewing Circles
Rehabilitation Committee, June 29, 1906
Seven Civil Section Committees
SAN FRANCISCO RELIEF AND RED CROSS FUNDS,
A CORPORATION, July 20, 1906 '
Executive Committee
Department A — Finance and Publicity
Auditing Department
Subscription Department
Ledger Department
Claim Voucher Department
Cashier's Department
History Committee
Department B — Bills and Demands
Supervising Committee (superseded by the Judi-
cial Committee, Sept. 9, 1906)
Department C — Camps and Warehouses (Aug. i,
1906, Relieved Army of Camps)
Seven Civil Chairmen
Camps
Warehouses
Department D — Relief and Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation Committee
Seven Civil Section Committees, superseded Oc-
tober 26, 1906, by Sub-Committees:
I. Temporary Aid and Transportation
II. Aged and Infirm, Unsupported Chil-
dren and Friendless Girls
III. Unsupported or Partially Supported
Families
IV. Occupation for Women and Confiden-
tial Cases
V. Housing and Shelter
V^I. Business Rehabilitation
VII. Heads of Families Employed but Un-
able to Refurnish their Homes, Jan.
16, 1907
VIII. Committee on Deferred and Neglected
Applications, Nov. 17, 1907
Bureau of Hospitals
Industrial Bureau
Bureau of Special Relief
Department E — Lands and Buildings
BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF RELIEF AND RED CROSS
FUNDS, Feb. 4, 1909
* The committees appointed independently by the Finance Committee and by the American National
Red Cross became practically merged into the so-called new committees under the Finance Committee of
Relief and Red Cross Funds. The committees under the Finance Committee of Relief and Red Cross
Funds continued their work under the more elaborate organization of the San Francisco Relief and Red
Cross Funds, a Corporation. The most significant dates of organization are given.
XXV
PART I
ORGANIZING THE FORCE AND
EMERGENCY METHODS
Part I
ORGANIZING THE FORCE AND EMERGENCY
METHODS
I. Organizing A Relief Force
1. The Disaster .
2. Tentative Organization
3. Uniting of Relief Forces
4. Beginnings of Rehabilitation Work
5. An Interlude .
6. Incorporation of the Funds
11. Methods OF Distribution .
1 . Sources of Contributions
2. Distribution of Food
3. Distribution of Clothing
4. Furnishing Transportation
5. Providing Shelter .
6. Safeguarding Health
7. Relieving the Japanese and Chinese
111. Questions OF Finance
1. Claims
2. System of Accounting — A Note .
3. The Control of Donations .
PAGE
3
3
8
1 1
13
19
25
30
30
36
55
58
69
89
94
96
96
98
99
a
1
MAP OF
SAN FEANCISGO
BunirJ Diilrict-Limili imilcited by broad .haded torUer -
Bcindarici o( Civil Scciioi«— Indicated by heavy
blsek line^'^"*""'"'^ numbered 1— VII.
Official Relief Campi ~ SitcJ shown by sliaded lines [','"^|
and mimbcrcd l-JOrCSee tii-t of camps in Appendix.) tii-J
Hot Meal Kitchen* — Indicaicd by ®
Main Relief Headqiianen — Indicaicd by H
Relict Hcadq.aner» of Civil Section! — Indicaicd by •
Relief Problem inEachD.tirict al time of firti (incomplete)
regiuraiion.- Sho«n h, relative sii» of large circles containing
number of rcfiigeet.
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I
ORGANIZING A RELIEF FORCE
1. THE DISASTER
SAN FRANCISCO is at the head of one of two narrow
peninsulas which, held apart by the Golden Gate, landlock a
fifty-mile length of harbor. To the west of the city is the
Pacific Ocean itself and to the east, beyond the six to eight-mile
reach of San Francisco Bay, such residence towns as Alameda,
Oakland, and Berkeley, which merge almost into one another.
Many thousands of people who use San Francisco as the center
for their business, travel daily along the city's principal thorough-
fare, Market Street, to take at its foot one of the ferries which
make frequent runs to the east shore and to Sausalito and Tiburon
on the north beyond the Golden Gate. A smaller number go by
rail to San Jose and other residence towns on the peninsula, and
each stream is met morning and evening by one of less volume of
those who reverse the process to find residence in the large city
and employment beyond its boundaries.
■"\pn Wednesday morning, April i8, 1906, at twelve minutes
past five o'clock, San Francisco, this city of wonderful setting,
sufi'ered an earthquake whose sensible duration was about one
minute. The shock left her powerless to supply light, heat, water,
drainage, to convey her people or to carry their messages; but it
would not have paralyzed her activities had it not been that because
of the breaking of the main water conduits, the fires, thirty of which
were said to have started immediately, could not be controlled.
The fires started on both sides of Market Street, and within
three hours after the earthquake, made a continuous line of flame
from north of Market Street, along the water front, past the Ferry
Building, south of Market Street, and along Mission Street to
beyond Third Street, where was the main station of the only rail-
road that ran out of the city. As the fire spread to the southwest
and the north, the whole population seemed cut ofi" from escape
except by going west and south within the city. Comparatively
few knew during the first two days that there was a narrow but
3
EMERGENCY METHODS
sate way around the fire to the Ferry Building from which the
boats were running. Many of those who did learn of this oppor-
tunit}', or who wished to hazard a chance, reached the ferry and
crossed the bay, but many more failed to use this means of reach-
ing their friends and acquaintances without the city. On the second
and third days small supplies of water were brought to play upon
the fire, but not until the morning of Saturday the twenty-first,
by the use of dynamite, was the advance of the flames stopped.
Along the general line of the city's own growth in wealth
and breadth the fire moved, destroying the larger part of the whole-
sale district, practically all of the retail and the shopping section,
the chief financial centers, the leading hotels, and some of the pub-
lic buildings. Large portions of the most expensive residence
sections and multitudes of small hotels and lodging houses, to-
gether with great numbers of less expensive residences and quarters
for working people, were devastated^ Thickly populated districts,
such as the *' Latin Quarter," Chinatown, and the section largely
inhabited by the Irish, were entirely burned out.
The burned area, the very heart and vitals of the city,
covered 4.7* square miles, on which were located 521 blocks, 13
of which were saved, 508 burned. The number of buildings de-
stroyed was 28,188,1 the number of persons made homeless about
200,oooJ of San Francisco's estimated population of 450,000.
* Report of the sub-committee on statistics to the chairman and Commit-
mittee on the Reconstruction of San Francisco (see page 10), April 24, 1907.
t The classification and count were made from the block books of the Nor-
wich Union Insurance Company. Each separate building with an independent
entrance was estimated as a building. The number and character of buildings
destroyed were:
Character of buildings
Buildings destroyed
Wooden framed buildings . . .
Brick — Classes B and C
Brick and wood (unclassified) ....
Fireproof — Class A
Stone
Corrugated iron (wooden frame)
24,671
3,168
259
42
15
33
Total
28,188
t General Greely quoted the chief of the Census Bureau as giving 185,000
as the population of the burned area in 1900.
Striving to reach the Ferry Building
In Union Square, soon to be swept by flames
The Morning of the Disaster
> 1
, (
• f
(
• r
• «
THE DISASTER
The burned area* had a land front of 49,305 feet, or 9.34
miles, and a water front of 9,510 feet, or 1.80 miles, the total
being 58,8 1 5 feet, or 1 1 . 1 4 miles. Facing this line on the unburned
side were 527 buildings, of which 506 were wood, 18 brick, one
stone, one adobe, and one corrugated iron. Thus the fire was
stopped against a wall of buildings, 96 per cent of which were wood.
About 20 per cent of the frontage was on wide streets, and the
remainder, 80 per cent, on streets of ordinary width.
Apart from the larger business houses, the public buildings,
and some of the residences of the wealthier citizens, the burned
buildings, including the smaller hotels and lodging houses, were
built of wood. Their destruction was complete. There was
practically no salvage of value from the small wooden dwellings,
destroyed as they were by the fire and not by the earthquake.
The loss of real and personal property has been estimated at
^500,000,000, — about $1,100 per capita of the city's population.
As only $200,000,000 of insurance money is estimated to have been
collected, there was a net loss of over $650 per capita. The great
loss of income from non-employment, from unrentable property,
and from the general cessation of business, cannot be estimated.
There was quick compensation for the day laborers and other work-
men connected with the building trades, but the recovery for most
of the business men was to be slow and is not yet complete.
The loss of life as a result of both earthquake and fire was
reported by General Greely, after careful inquiry, to be: known
dead, 304; unknown dead, 194; total, 498; number seriously
injured, 415. All persons within the fire zone who were lying sick
either in hospitals or in their own homes were carried to places of
safety. There were, of course, many unwarranted reports of tragic
deaths, such as for instance that numerous men had been shot for
looting and that physicians had put their patients to death rather
than let them die in the flames. The federal troops arrived so
promptly, and with the aid of the militia and the police patrolled
the city so thoroughly, that there were few opportunities to loot.
To the end of June there were but nine deaths by violence in the
whole city, three of which appear to have been brought upon unof-
fending men by over-zealous patrols.
*See map opposite p. 3.
5
EMERGENCY METHODS
It can never be reckoned what it meant to the devastated
city that its own people as a welded body should have manifested
under the shock of the great disaster that quality of the hero
which lifts him, the psychic man, above the physical and leaves
him freed from himself to be spiritually at one with his community.
A witness who lives in Berkeley came to the city early on the
morning of the earthquake and spent that and the following day
in the thick of the refugees. Nowhere along the fire lines was to be
seen the least sign of panic. Women and children without a tear
and with scarcely a murmur trudged weary miles, carrying hand-
fuls of possessions, or stood silent to watch their homes destroyed.
The chief signs of excitement were shown by those who were
fighting the fire or who were hurrying from one place to another
on official business. At the end of the second day he saw tears for
the first time, the tears of a woman who may have been worn out
by long tramping and by loss of sleep.
How the great deep of the common human heart was broken
up when that sudden disaster came unawares on the people is
borne witness to by many who had their portion of loss and by
many others who came from the outside to help carry the load.
One of the latter wrote to Charities and the Commons'^ a month
afterwards:
"All the fountains of good fellowship, of generosity, of sympathy,
of good cheer, pluck, and determination have been opened wide by the
common downfall. The spirit of a(l is a marvelous revelation of the good
and fme in humanity, intermittent or dormant under ordinary conditions,
perhaps, but dominant and all-pervading in the shadow of disaster.
*' Recently I formed the acquaintance of a man who now drives
an automobile. He had a large machine shop and was a rich man before
the fire. The other day he was working about the automobile while his
passengers were attending a committee meeting at army headquarters.
Presently there approached a man who had purchased $20,000 worth of
machinery at his shops just before the fire.
"The customer said to my friend, 'Hello R , what are you
doing here?'
'''Driving this automobile,' said R . 'What are you doing?'
"'I'm driving that automobile over there,' said the customer,
♦Bicknell, Ernest P.: In the Thick of the Relief Work of San Francisco.
Charities and the Commons, XVI: 299 (June, 1906).
6
THE DISASTER
and the two shook hands and laughed heartily at the grim humor of the
situation.
'*The prevailing sentiment could hardly be better shown than by a
motto chalked on one of the little temporary street kitchens. It is:
'Make the best of it, forget the rest of it.' ' '
The even temperature of the San Francisco region v^hich
assures mild w^inters and cool summers and the cessation of rains
from March to October, made climatic conditions that were pecu-
liarly favorable. There was on April 22 and again in June some
inconvenience from unseasonable rain, but there was no complaint
of serious discomfort by those living in the temporary shelters.
The health of the refugees in general, it was frequently stated, was
improved by the outdoor life. Probably thousands lived during
the summer of 1906 under improved physical conditions; and even
during the rains of the following winter thousands were better off
in the refugee shacks than they had previously been in the poorer
grade of tenements. A winter that brings but little frost and ice
and that accustoms people to live with open doors and to do with-
out artificial heat is one that simplifies the task of providing shel-
ter for the homeless, lessens the cost, and causes but few serious
delays to building work. The even temperature is also favor-
able for the handling of perishable food supplies, which do not
need to be kept on ice.
San Francisco had an additional advantage in being an
important military and naval center. As the headquarters of the
department of California and of the Pacific Division of the army,
it has within its boundaries three garrison posts with their reserva-
tions,— the Presidio, Fort Mason, and Fort Miley; and without.
Fort Baker opposite the Presidio on the north side of the Golden
Gate, Alcatraz Island facing the Golden Gate, Fort McDowell
within the bay on Angel Island, and Benicia Barracks at the head
of the bay. The United States Navy Department has Mare
Island Navy Yard at the north end of the bay and the Naval
Training Station on Verba Buena Island. At the time of the
disaster the war ships in the harbor as well as the naval stations
were able to render prompt and valuable service. The army's
immediate part in fighting the fire and in guarding property, and
7
EMERGENCY METHODS
its later part in providing food, clothing, and shelter was, as is
shown in the following pages, of outstanding importance.
As the people in brave and solemn silence moved out of the
shattered and fire-swept centers of the city, relief societies were
being formed within the city itself and in suburban towns, and
citizens of places as distant as Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon,
hurried from the south and the north to distribute money and
supplies. Many agencies, with fervor but with no concerted
plan, helped to carry the relief work for the first week, converting
churches into hospitals, and preparing and distributing food in
unlikely but convenient places. But while sporadic groups of
people worked to provide immediate aid in ignorance of one an-
other's efforts, the organization of the Citizens' Committee grew.
2. TENTATIVE ORGANIZATION
At a quarter before seven o'clock on that morning of April
18, the major, Eugene E. Schmitz, with a small group of citizens
met in the Hall of Justice, a building shattered by the earthquake
and nearly surrounded by fire. As he hurried to the center of the
city he overtook the federal troops which had been summoned
from Fort Mason and the Presidio by General Funston, who was in
command of the Pacific Division of the army during the temporary
absence of General Greely.* The troops had been told to take
orders from the mayor. Under authority from him they served
as police to guard property, not to enforce a military rule. The
mayor assumed almost absolute control of the city government for
a time, superseding all departments and commissions. His first
order was to shoot, not arrest, the looters; his second, to close the
places that sold liquor. The latter wise measure was for two
months strictly enforced.
The mayor named a Citizens' Committeef of more than 50
persons, 25 of whom came together at three o'clock in the Hall of
* For a condensed account of the part taken by the army in the emergency
relief work, see Appendix I, p. 381; extracts from article on The Army in the San
Francisco Disaster, by Major (now Brigadier General) C. A. Devol. Journal
United States Infantry Association, July, 1907, pp. 59-87.
t For list of members of the Citizens' Committee, popularly called the
Committee of Fifty, and its sub-committees, see Sixth Annual Report of the
American National Red Cross, 19 10, pp. 153-155.
8
i
» -)
*
> 3
•3
.3
O 3 0
. 3 »
1
• 't
♦ t
c
O
u
D
O
TENTATIVE ORGANIZATION
Justice, close to the edge of the roaring tempest of flame. It
was difficult to conduct business, with dynamite explosions shaking
the meeting place, so in an hour's time the mayor moved across the
street to Portsmouth Square where amid boxes of dynamite and in
the shadow of the monument to Robert Louis Stevenson, the trans-
action of business continued. The memorial, a drinking fountain
in a granite base with a Spanish galleon at full sail on its summit,
stood untouched. The gilt of the hardy vessel still glittered and,
untarnished beneath, Stevenson's lines: ''To be honest, to be
kind ... to renounce when that shall be necessary and not be
embittered, to keep a few friends but these without capitulation —
above all, on the same grim condition, to keep friends with him-
self— here is a task for all that a man has of fortitude and delicacy."
Two hours later the mayor and his assistants moved five
blocks up the steep side of Nob Hill to the Fairmont Hotel only to
be dislodged the next morning from what must at first have seemed
an impregnable position. Their retreat carried them eight blocks
farther west to the North End Police Station, and by noon still
westward to Franklin Hall on the corner of Fillmore and Bush
Streets, where they could finally halt. While the citizens were
holding their first meetings and the army was helping to fight the
fire, the American National Red Cross was sending across the
continent its representative, Dr. Edward T. Devine, who reached
San Francisco April 23 with Ernest P. Bicknell. Mr. Bicknell
was sent by the committee formed in Chicago for the relief of
San Franciscans.
At its first meeting in the Hall of Justice the Citizens' Com-
mittee, which was recognized immediately as a representative
body, authorized the mayor to issue orders for food and other
supplies. The mayor did not, however, make much use of this
authority but left the conduct of the relief work to the Finance
Committee, which was appointed at the first meeting, and to the
other sub-committees which were formed at the following meetings.
The chairman of each of these was given power to complete the
membership of his committee. From the first the Finance Com-
mittee of the Citizens' Committee, with James D. Phelan elected
to be its chairman, stands out as a directing agent of relief.
Interesting items in the minutes of the second meeting of the
9
EMERGENCY METHODS
Citizens' Committee are the announcements that there would
be water in the Western Addition by one o'clock of that day,
April 19, and in the Mission the following day, and that there
was press boat service at the foot of Van Ness Avenue.*
The Citizens' Committee continued for over two weeks to
hold daily meetings, to which were submitted the Finance Com-
mittee's reports of contributions, as well as its methods of relief
expenditures. Its only function in relation to the relief work came
to be to confer in order to exchange information. It was but
natural, therefore, for the mayor to determine to dissolve the
larger committee and leave the control of the relief work, as far
as he had power to determine it, in the hands of the Finance Com-
mittee, which as is shown below had on April 25 come into effective
co-operation with the army and the American National Red Cross.
At the meeting on May 5, the mayor notified Mr. Phelan that the
work of all the relief sub-committees but his was done, and that he
should make his financial statement to the Committee on the
Reconstruction of San Francisco. f
The Citizens' Committee with its list of sub-committees,
hurriedly created, quickly to die, gives an excellent illustration of
the futility of trying to effect an elaborate organization before the
measure of a disaster has been taken or the extent of the means
for recovery learned.
The Finance Committee represented the citizens' choice to
which had been entrusted the local subscription of over ^400,000
and the contribution from the state at large of $250,000. Its
authority had been recognized by the California branch of the
Red Cross, by the Massachusetts Association for Relief of Cali-
fornia, by the New York Chamber of Commerce, and by many
other relief organizations and individuals throughout the country,
as well as by the President of the United States who made public
his recognition of the Finance Committee as official agent of relief.
The relation of the American National Red Cross to the Finance
Committee was not defined during the week following the disaster.
*See map opposite p. 3. Fort Mason, at the foot of the avenue, overlooks
the Golden Gate.
t Superseded on May 5 the Committee of Fifty. This new committee of
40 members, composed largely of the men who served on the Committee of Fifty,
had no part in the subsequent relief work.
10
UNITING OF RELIEF FORCES
3. UNITING OF RELIEF FORCES
On April 24, before the dissolution of the Citizens' Com-
mittee, a momentous conference was held at Fort Mason which
was attended by General Greely and General Funston representing
the army; by the mayor, Mr. Phelan, Mr. de Young, and Mr.
E. H. Harriman representing the citizens; and by Dr. Devine,
representing the American National Red Cross and Judge W. W.
Morrow representing the California Branch of the Red Cross.
That a meeting was to be held to determine the jurisdiction of the
Finance Committee and the best method of employing the funds,
had been reported earlier in the same day to the Citizens' Com-
mittee. At this conference, after a heated argument it was de-
cided that the military authorities should have entire charge* of the
relief stations and the shelters for the homeless, two divisions of
work that previously had been partially carried by sub-com-
mittees of the Citizens' Committee. It was further decided to
unite the Red Cross with the Finance Committee of the Citizens'
Committee under a new title: Finance Committee of Relief and
Red Cross Funds. This consolidation was immediately approved
by the American National Red Cross which soon afterwards re-
mitted $400,000 to the new committee. f
There were nice questions of policy involved in the de-
termining of the relation between the army, the civil and state
authorities, and the voluntary relief agencies. Tact was required
and a faithful compliance with the law. April 21, at a con-
ference of the mayor, the chief of police. General Koster, then
in command of the National Guard, and General Funston, the
question of the effective policing of the city had been considered.
It was agreed that the northern part of the city should be
assigned to the federal troops, the central part to the National
Guard, and the southern to the municipal police. The northern
part was divided into six military districts. On May 2 military
control was extended to the whole city, which was now divided
into eight military districts, with only slight changes in their
* For a copy of General Orders No. 18, see Appendix I, p. 379.
t For list of members of the Finance Committee of Relief and Red Cross
Funds and its permanent Committees, see Appendix I, p. 377.
II
EMERGENCY METHODS
boundaries; and on May 8 there was a general re-districting that
resulted in six districts. These military districts have special
significance for this Relief Survey because they later served as the
basis for the seven geographical divisions known as civil or relief
sections, which played a very important part in the relief work.
These were formed on April 29 and coincided practically with the
six military districts of May 8, except that military district six
included civil sections VII and VIII. The civil sections were later
used by the American National Red Cross, by the Executive Com-
mission, and by the departments of Camps and Warehouses and
of Relief and Rehabilitation.
The boundaries of the sections, the number of refugees
registered in each, the extent of the burned district, and the
location of the more important camps, are given in the map.*
The burned district was included almost entirely in Sections IV
and V. Sections I, ll,t and III contained the largest camps.
Section VI had only one official camp, and Section VII none, but
there were many unsupervised tents and shacks, isolated and in
groups, scattered through these two sections. In extent of terri-
tory they more than equalled the other five sections. They con-
tained before the fire a large wage-earning population, living in
small homes. This population was much increased after the fire
by an influx from the burned-out part of the city.
An irresistible force had pushed relief through four broad
channels. Food had first to be supplied; then clothing along with
bedding and common household necessities; then shelter; and last,
the means to make one's own provision for the future. The order
of relief could not be altered by any committee planning. The
great primary needs had first to be met. The amounts that could
be held in reserve for the purpose of essential importance, re-
4iabilitation, depended on the sum of donations being enough to
* See map opposite p. 3. For number of refugees registered in the seven
sections in May, 1906, see also Part I, p. 45.
t The number of refugees registered for Section II is very inadequate. It
included Golden Gate Park, with its three large camps, where a different registra-
tion system was instituted before the general registration was begun. These
camps, with a population in the middle of May of nearly 5,000, were therefore
excluded from the general registration, which consequently represented only the
scattered refugees throughout the section outside the Park.
12
BEGINNINGS OF REHABILITATION WORK
leave a surplus after the cost of food, clothing, and temporary
shelter had been met. In the early days the number of persons
that were in the bread line and that lacked shelter was so great
that it looked as if the demands for food, clothing, and other
primary necessities would exhaust any possible relief fund.
The method of distribution of emergency relief is described
in the following chapter, but in order to understand the animus
that underlay the efforts to form an organization that should meet
with public recognition, it must be borne in mind that two strong
currents, representing distinct conceptions of principles of relief,
flowed beneath the surface of the relief administration, sometimes
the one and sometimes the other directing the general course or
impeding an even progress. Such conflict between the conceptions
of the relief task was as inevitable as was the demand for relief
itself, and furnished probably the amount of friction necessary to
wear a deep bed along which later moved a great stream of re-
habilitation. The story of the first efforts to form a compact,
working relief body falls almost into dramatic form. The voice
of authority one day is the civic servant's, another day the people's,
a third the military commander's, a fourth the expert charity
worker's. The stage in turn seems held by each. But the sig-
nificant fact is that underlying the methods of each is the need,
recognized at different periods of time in varying degree, of meeting
the demands of the situation by a grasp of rehabilitation as the
definitive aim.
4. BEGINNINGS OF REHABILITATION V/ORK
There was no monopoly of the conception of rehabilitation
as an essential part of the relief work. Before the end of April
the Finance Committee of Relief and Red Cross Funds had been
asked to supply tools to bricklayers and to make loans to indi-
viduals. Individual members had discussed the outstanding im-
portance of rehousing the people. Agencies and individuals acting
independently of one another had likewise been making tentative
efforts to restore people to self-support.
But there was one group of workers that had been free from
the first to base its initial efforts on the need to measure the disaster
in terms of future rehabilitation. This group, representing the
13
EMERGENCY METHODS
American National Red Cross, reinforced by the Associated
Charities, had been free to do so because the responsibility of
meeting the emergency was being carried by the army and by the
Citizens' Committee. Before any distinctive rehabilitation com-
mittee was appointed the office of the Red Cross was besieged by
applicants who in person and by letter begged for aid to remove
their families from the camp life. To some tools were supplied;
to others, transportation. Until May 9, when the Finance Com-
mittee made its first appropriation of $10,000 for special relief,
Dr. Devine drew on a private fund at his disposal to meet re-
habilitation expenditures. For these early expenditures he was
reimbursed from the first appropriation.
May 5 is a noteworthy date. The representative of the
American National Red Cross then began to form a staff of re-
habilitation workers, who put the date May 5 at the head of the
first case record. The secretary of the Boston Associated Chari-
ties, Alice L. Higgins, was appointed secretary to Dr. Devine.
Lee K. Frankel of New York became chairman of a tentative
bureau of special relief.
On May 18, when the Red Cross had formulated its plans for
a registration bureau and for co-operating with the army at the
seven civil sections, the Special Relief and Rehabilitation Com-
mittee, or Bureau, as it was ordinarily called, got well under way,
with Oscar K. Cushing as chairman. In a separate section in the
next chapter the relation of this Bureau to the transportation work
is told.
The Bureau started with a force of seven field agents.
The Associated Charities provided the investigators, reinforced
at once by local volunteer and paid relief workers and, after
July 2, by a number of workers sent from east of the Sierras by the
charity organization and kindred societies that had trained them.
The force as a whole represented, without discrimination, various
races and creeds. The Finance Committee after July 2 made an
appropriation to the Associated Charities to cover the cost of
administration.
During the early period of the alliance between the Associated
Charities and the Rehabilitation Bureau there was difficulty in the
14
Watching the fire
3 )
3 3
The fire draws near
Refugees in Jefferson Square
c
«
L «
C '-.
«
• * t *
*•••
BEGINNINGS OF REHABILITATION WORK
adjustment of work, but the friction was soon overcome and until
July, 1907, under the various regimes, the Associated Charities
continued to be an effective part of the general rehabilitation
machinery. The work of the Bureau grew fast, but it grew nat-
urally as an outcome of the demands of the situation itself, and
when on June 29, as is stated on page 21, the Finance Committee
appointed its own Rehabilitation Committee,* the new committee
was able to take over the work of the Bureau without any waste
of effort.
Early in May, when the Red Cross Rehabilitation Bureau
was being organized, the Finance Committee of Relief and Red
Cross Funds, stimulated by insistent requests that it should state
its plans, called on Dr. Devine, one of its members, to make recom-
mendations for future work. The New York Chamber of Com-
merce, through its representative, James D. Hague, and the
Massachusetts Association for the Relief of California through its
representative Jacob Furth, were urging that their funds be used
as far as possible to provide permanent relief.
Dr. Devine, who already had carefully considered with his
staff of Red Cros^ workers the general question of rehabilitation,
in a report submitted on May 4 made seven recommendations,
which were considered by a special committee consisting of the
governor, Archbishop Riordan, Rabbi Voorsanger, E. H. Harri-
man, and Dr. Devine. The first six recommendations were ac-
cepted by the Finance Committee; the last was rejected. They
read:
1. That the opening of cheap restaurants be encouraged and
facilitated by the sale to responsible persons at army contract prices of any
surplus stores now in hand or en route, the proceeds to be turned into the
relief fund to be expended in the purchase of the same or other supplies
as the Finance Committee or its purchasing agents may direct.
2. That definite provision be made for the maintenance of the
permanent private hospitals which are in position to care for free patients,
by the payment at the rate of $10 per week for the care of patients who are
* Two weeks later, when the funds were incorporated, July 16, 1906, five
departments were formed (see p. 26) of which one, the Department of Relief and
Rehabilitation, included the Rehabilitation Committee, the Bureau of Hospitals,
the Industrial Bureau, and the Bureau of Special Relief. (See Diagram of Organi-
zation, p. XXV.)
15
EMERGENCY METHODS
unable to pay, and that after an accurate estimate has been made of the
number of beds in each hospital, a sufficient sum be appropriated for this
purpose.
3. That provision be made on some carefully devised plan for the
care during the coming year of convalescent patients, and for the care of
aged and infirm persons for whom there is not already sufficient provision.
4. That on the basis of the registration now in progress and subse-
quent inquiry into the facts in such cases, special relief in the form of tools,
implements, household furniture, and sewing machines, or in any other
form which may be approved by the committee, be supplied to individuals
and families found to be in need of such relief.
5. That the administration of this special relief fund be entrusted
to a committee of seven with such paid service at its disposal as the special
relief committee may find necessary.
6. That as soon as practicable a definite date be fixed after which
applications for aid from the Relief and Red Cross Funds cannot be con-
sidered.
7. That a sum not to exceed §100,000 be set aside to be expended
by the said committee for the immediate employment of both men and
women in some necessary work which is in the public interest but which
cannot be undertaken by the municipality and is not properly a charge
on any private corporation or individual.
In making its own report this special committee said it
assumed ''that the supply of food and clothing will be continued
until the absolute need in these directions is met.'' It was not
prepared to take action on the seventh recommendation.
At the end of May, no action as a result of the recommenda-
tions having been taken, Dr. Devine urged the Finance Committee
to appoint the committee of seven suggested in the fifth recom-
mendation, which had been authorized the first of the month, so
that the work of providing shelter more adequate than that pro-
vided by the tents should be begun. For consideration of more
permanent forms of rehabilitation, he thought it might be neces-
sary to have still another committee.
His advice to the Finance Committee was supplemented on
June 4 by a letter to the chairman, in which he drew a general
outline of the relief course that should be taken. It reiterates in
more specific form the advice given in May. The points empha-
sized were:
16
. BEGINNINGS OF REHABILITATION WORK
1. The general distribution of uncooked food and of clothing
should be discontinued by June 30, the date the army proposed to with-
draw. The bread line, the clothing line, and the relief stations, should
then be abandoned.
2. The established charities of the city should, as far as possible,
on that date resume the discharge of their normal functions.
3. The clothing and provisions, tools, sewing machines, and house-
hold furniture remaining on June 30 in the relief stores should be placed at
the disposal of a special relief committee and a central warehouse should
be designated to hold them. Appropriations should be made to the
suggested committee for its administrative expenses, and as its plans
developed, for additional relief.
4. Housing, loans, and other plans for rehabilitation should be
taken up by a legally incorporated body to be formed to administer the
relief funds; one which should be ready to deal in the broadest possible
way with all problems relating to the rehabilitation of families and of
individuals. The hot meal kitchens, it was conjectured, would by the end
of June be on a business basis.
5. The most important task remaining would be to supervise per-
manent camps and barracks.*
6. The Police Department should give general protection, and the
Health Commission should guard the public health. f
To quote the letter:
*' What will be needed in each permanent camp after June 30 will
be (i) a business agent authorized by the Finance Committee, and in the
case of public parks by the municipal authorities, to assign tents or rooms
in barracks to particular persons, to collect rents, if rental is charged, to
evict tenants when necessary, and to call upon the police authorities in the
name of this committee, when necessary for the maintenance of order;
(2) a sanitary officer responsible to the health commission; and (3) a
police guard responsible to the police department. The general business
agents should all be responsible to one general superintendent of perma-
nent camps. The general superintendent of business agents, in the case
of the larger camps, will require a certain number of clerical and adminis-
trative assistants corresponding to the military officers who are now serving
in similar capacities under the military supervision of camps and the
commanding officers of the several camps. Neither the business agent
* See Providing Shelter, Part I, p. 69 ff.
t See Safeguarding Health, Part I, p. 89 fP.
2 17
EMERGENCY METHODS
nor the sanitary superintendent need have anything to do with relief,
except to report cases of destitution which come to their attention to the
Special Relief Committee/'
The major, who was futilely trying to determine relief
policies, in a conference with Mr. Phelan a few days later sug-
gested the importance of appointing the committee urged by Dr.
Devine. He said that he might ask the municipal board of super-
visors to appoint a committee on relief and rehabilitation. This
action, however, he did not take.
General Greely at this time also expressed his appreciation
of the need of a change of relief policy.* He and Dr. Devine
agreed as to the next steps to be taken, his point of view concurring
with that expressed in the letter just quoted. He counseled
specifically a separation of questions of administration, sanitation,
and relief, and a thorough co-operation with the municipality in
all matters affecting the administrative policy and sanitation of the
camps. He said further that as an army officer was familiar with
but two aspects of the relief problem, — the distribution of supplies
and the care of camps, — the Finance Committee of the Relief
and Red Cross Funds should appoint an executive committee,
which should be prepared after July i to relieve the army of
responsibility.
He asked three of his officers who had been carrying on the
relief work to submit a plan for its further conduct. The resultant
plan, submitted by General Greely to the Finance Committee,
was necessarily a reflex of the military experience of its framers.
Though it was incited by an appreciation of the fact that the
emergency relief period must be superseded by the period for
permanent adjustment, the plan provided for yet further distri-
bution of necessities rather than in any comprehensive way for
housing and rehabilitation. It called for the organizing of a
bureau with a paid personnel. The chief of the bureau was to be
accountable to the mayor, and was to have under him four sub-
chiefs, three of whom should be army officers, each in charge of a
department, — the departments of distribution and supply, ad-
ministration, general superintendence, and finance.
* For letter written on June 15 by General Greely to the chairman of the
Finance Committee, see Appendix I, p. 387.
18
BEGINNINGS OF REHABILITATION WORK
General Greely, realizing the difficulty of having a suitable
man appointed as chief, made later the substitute suggestion of a
commission of three. The mayor and General Greely were present
by invitation at a meeting of the Finance Committee when the
substitute plan was considered. The attitude of the mayor during
this month of June was one of serious interference. The Finance
Committee naturally did not wish to have any public disagreement
with him, and with the knowledge that the army was shortly to
be withdrawn from control of relief work it seemed wise as a
compromise to accept General Greely's suggestion of a commission
rather than a chief who should be responsible solely to the mayor.
The decision was reached, therefore, for the Finance Committee
to appoint an Executive Commission of three members, one mem-
ber to represent the mayor, a second, the American National Red
Cross, and a third, the Finance Committee itself.
5. AN INTERLUDE
On June 22, at a meeting of the Finance Committee at
which 1 1 of the 2 1 members were present, announcement was
made that the mayor had appointed a political friend as his
representative on the Executive Commission, and the American
National Red Cross, Dr. Devine. Dr. Devine at the time of the
meeting was absent in the East. The Committee had therefore
to make its appointment. After a discussion, which later became
public, several men were nominated for appointment, two of whom
possessed the confidence of the community on account of their
honorable standing, native ability, readiness freely to serve the
public, and knowledge gained of the relief situation through
arduous volunteer work. The man elected, by a vote of six to
four, was a politician with no previous experience in the relief work.
A scrutiny of the records shows on the part of these local members
of the Executive Commission no indication of effort to use their
positions to further political ends, and one of the two returned to
the Finance Committee the salary of $500 to which he was entitled
as a member of the Commission. There is no record of lack of
harmony, merely the indication of an ineptitude on their part to
meet the needs of the distressed community.
The attitude of the Finance Committee was one of detach-
19
EMERGENCY METHODS
mcnt from, or one might say, suspicion of the Executive Commis-
sion. It refused to define the scope of the Commission's work,
but directed it to organize and submit a plan of work for approval,
and, for confirmation, the names of the employes it wished to
appoint. The members who had forced the election of a feeble
representative, realizing the mistake of their policy, agreed to
restrict the powers of the Commission, and were ready to vote
to abolish it at the end of the month.
The irony of the situation lay in the fact that the chairman
of the Commission, Dr. Devine (who accepted no salary), and
its secretary, Ernest P. Bicknell (who likewise received no salary),
presented for consideration a plan of work which in substance was
the same as that submitted by the chairman early in June to the
Finance Committee and to General Greely.
The plan* called again for a regulation of camps, ware-
houses, the hot meal kitchens, the care of the sick in hospitals,
and for making provision for housing, loans, and special relief.
Unlike a rolling stone, however, to reiterate plans meant to gather
moss, so a new suggestion may be noted. It was, that the civilian
chairmen of the seven sections should be men on salary, giving
their entire time, and responsible to the Commission until relieved.
Their duties should include distribution of clothing, meal tickets,
and other relief, and the carrying out of the second registration f
then in progress.
Recommendation was made by the Commission that all
executive work should devolve on it, and that it should be held
responsible for initiating relief measures.
The Finance Committee approved the plan in general,
with the exception that the question of special relief be left for
future decision and that no action be taken on housing until
further information had been collected. It did decide, specifically,
that the rehabilitation work should continue in charge of Dr. Devine
as representative of the Red Cross, and should not be transferred
to the Executive Commission while final decision was pending.
The Executive Commission got rather beaten round the
* For plan of the Executive Commission, see Appendix I, p. 391.
t See Part I, p. 49, and Part II, p. 115. The first registration was begun
during the week following the disaster.
20
The first bakery rebuilt'
»
5
■,•;.■
A cheerful kitchen
Supplying Food Under Difficulties
• .
c t
r <
< m
**''
r <
«
BEGINNINGS OF REHABILITATION WORK
bush. It was permitted to expend certain appropriations for
sanitation, the care of camps, and the distribution of food, clothing,
and other suppHes, under direction of its chairman and a group
of army officers. The relation of the army to the new Commission
was practically what it had before been to the Red Cross rep-
resentative. Under the military regime Major A. J. Gaston
was commanding officer of permanent camps; under the new
regime he was general superintendent of camps with authority to
appoint all camp employes.
In the latter part of June Mr. Phelan, acting on Dr. Devine's
suggestion that the Finance Committee should appoint a Rehabili-
tation Committee of its own to supersede the work of the special
Rehabilitation Bureau, did appoint such a committee with Dr.
Devine as chairman and Archbishop Riordan,* Bishop Nichols,t
Rabbi Jacob Voorsanger, O. K. Cushing, F. W. Dohrmann, and
Dr. John Gallwey as members. Its scope was defined as including
''all aid'' to be given to individuals or families other than food or
ordinary clothing. It superseded, as has been already stated,} the
Red Cross Rehabilitation Bureau and took over the latter's un-
expended balance. The Bureau had expended $18,599.70 for 840
applicants.
The Rehabilitation Committee met in Hamilton School
July 2, two and a half months after the beginning of the relief
work in San Francisco. Mr. Bicknell was elected secretary, Mr.
Cushing, treasurer, the latter, with the chairman, having authority
to sign checks in the name of the Committee. When Dr. Devine
returned to New York, August i, Mr. Bicknell was appointed
a member of the Committee and Mr. Dohrmann then became
chairman, a position he was to hold from the first of August, 1906,
until the close of the rehabilitation work.
During June and July, to repeat, the pressure to give food
and temporary shelter was yielding to the pressure to furnish
permanent shelter and other means of rehabilitation. The problem
of housing was very complicated. No one knew how far shelter
would be provided by private enterprise; no one knew whether
* Delegated his position to Rev. D. O. Crowley.
t Delegated his position to Archdeacon J. A. Emery.
t See Part I, p. 15.
21
EMERGENCY METHODS
manufacturing plants and wholesale and retail business would
seek old locations; no one knew where the shifting population
would settle. There was delay in collecting insurance, uncertainty
as to the land, labor, and materials available and as to the future
street car service and water and sewer connections. There was
difference of opinion as to whether the subsidized building should be
of a permanent or temporary character, of scattered individual
dwellings or large blocks, as to whether financial aid should be
in the form of bonuses or of loans.
One of the minor notes of irony in this mid-summer situation
lies in the fact that the Finance Committee referred to its own
Rehabilitation Committee for consideration and report the housing
suggestion of one of its members, M. H. de Young, and that the
report that followed, July lo, was signed by Dr. Devine as chair-
man both of the Rehabilitation Committee and of the Executive
Commission.*
Mr. de Young's suggestion was that a donation, or as it
was commonly called, a bonus, of not more than $500 f in any case,
be made in behalf of any resident whose house had been destroyed,
provided that the ^500 represented not more than one-third of the
value of the house to be built, and that it be paid to the contractor
after the house was completed and was clear of liens.
The resultant report as submitted stated that the Executive
Commission had, with the approval of the Finance Committee,
appointed a board of consulting architects and builders who
offered their services as expert counsel on general plans and on
designs for suitable dwellings. It also stated that the matter had
been carefully considered by the Rehabilitation Committee and
the Executive Commission, and that the bonus plan was rec-
ommended for such workingmen as could not secure sufficient
funds from banks, building and loan associations, or from other
business or private sources.
Attention was called to the fact that the Rehabilitation
Committee was already studying the general situation so as to
estimate how many loans} were likely to be called for. It was
* See Original Housing Plan, Appendix I, p. 393. See also Part IV, Housing
Rehabilitation, p. 212 ff. j For class of people who benefited by the bonus
plan, see Part IV, pp. 218, 239. t For method of carrying out the loan plan, see
Part IV, p. 253 ff.
22
BEGINNINGS OF REHABILITATION WORK
further stated that there was no anticipation that the bonus plan
would carry far in providing shelter for the families living in tents,
and that no inclusive plan could be framed to provide housing
for all the homeless.
It was recognized, moreover, that first in order of importance
came provision of shelter for the aged, the infirm, the invalided,
and the other adult dependents who had become permanent
city charges. For these the recommendation was to erect per-
manent buildings on the cottage pavilion plan to house i,ooo
persons; the cost of building to be met from the fund, the main-
tenance to be left to the city. It was recognized that there were
two possible alternate plans; namely, to care for the dependent
group in existing private institutions, or to board its members
in private families. A marked advantage of the first plan was that
it provided a permanent addition to the city's charitable institu-
tions. The suggestion was intended to supplement what was
already being done in the way of giving care to the sick in hospitals.
It was further recognized that there should be quick effort
made to supply dwellings for the 5,000 persons who before the
disaster had paid moderate rentals, but who were housed in tents
or other temporary shelters. It was also necessary to make
provision for a possible 5,000 persons who were out of the city.
No accurate estimate had been or could be made of those who,
independent of aid, had readjusted themselves.
The proposal made in behalf of the possible 10,000, a pro-
posal that touched the kernel of the big relief problem, was to
use money lying idle to build houses which should be sold on the
instalment plan, or rented to families that had been living in
San Francisco on April 17. Shelter had to be provided against
the rainy season in order that there might be held in San Fran-
cisco a population of working people. The proposal was intended
also to carry to a workingman the opportunity to own a house of
such character as should serve to set a standard for sanitary and
attractive dwellings. Through the carrying out of this scheme
there were to be brought into happy co-operation the architects,
the builders, the municipality, and the Finance Committee itself.
The first would supply skill and taste; the second, quick and
moderate priced building; the third, suitable conditions of light,
23
EMERGENCY iMETHODS
sanitation, ventilation, and fire protection; the fourth, capital
and business security. To assure the last provision there was a
suggestion of the creation of a new corporation to consist of the
mayor, the chairman of the Finance Committee, the representative
of the American National Red Cross, and representatives from
the Executive Commission and the Rehabilitation Committee,
all of whom were to be named by the Finance Committee.
The need to incorporate became more imperative when the
plans to furnish shelter took, by July 15, the following definite
shape:
1. To build a pavilion on the almshouse tract* for 1,000 homeless
persons.
2. To appropriate $150,000 to construct and to repair temporary
shelters in the public parks for the use of the homeless during the winter
of 1906-07.
3. To appropriate not more than $500,000 to carry out the bonus
plan.f
4. To appropriate a second $500,000, to be used for loans to per-
sons who had owned or rented houses within the burned district. J
5. To set aside $2,500,000 for the acquiring of suitable and con-
venient land on which to build dwellings that might be sold for cash or
on the instalment plan to residents who were in business or had other
employment.
Before passing on to the matter of the incorporation of the
funds, one must record the final act of the Executive Commission.
On July 31, after six weeks of precarious, and one might almost
say uneventful life, the Commission voted to turn its records
over to the corporation just created, and to make an inventory of
its supplies and equipment for transfer to the same body.
June and July mark a clearly defined transition period.
In spite of the politically directed episode of the abortive Com-
mission, rehabilitation plans were being successfully shaped, even
though the ordeals of the withdrawing of the army as a factor in
* For account of Ingleside Camp and the establishment of the permanent
Relief Home for the aged and infirm, see Part VI, p. 319 flP.
t For discussion of the Bonus Plan, see Part IV, p. 239 fF.*
t For discussion of the Grant and Loan Plan, see Part IV, p. 253 ff.
24
INCORPORATION OF THE FUNDS
relief administration and the introducing of the political appointees
were being faced. In spite of temporary set-backs, the work was
getting on a strictly business basis. Delays meant suffering,
yet ultimate community gain, because the Rehabilitation Commit-
tee, in keeping outside the province of the Executive Commission,
drew to itself the best experienced service that was available,
and escaped the danger of being directed or diverted by any
force other than that controlled by right motives.
6. INCORPORATION OF THE FUNDS
Now to return to the suggestion of incorporation. From
as early a date as May 4 the question of the incorporation of the
relief funds had been discussed within and without the Finance
Committee. The New York Chamber of Commerce as a large
custodian of relief funds had the matter brought personally to
the attention of members of the Finance Committee through
its representative, James D. Hague, and in writing by its president,
the late Morris K. Jessup. The latter stated, however, that the
determining of the question of incorporation lay with the Finance
Committee. Correspondence in early July with Mr. Hague, the
returned envoy, showed that there was in contemplation the
incorporating of an independent body of men, the majority of
whom should be appointed by the chairman of the Finance
Committee. To this proposed corporation it was suggested
should be transferred the $500,000 then held by the Chamber of
Commerce, with such other moneys as might be entrusted to it.
If such a plan had been carried out there would have been
two authorized bodies administering relief with an encouragement
to other foreign custodians of funds to create similar independent
agencies. The pressure to incorporate came therefore from with-
out because of the jealous guardianship of funds by the non-local
contributors; from within because of the exigency of the situation
itself.
In the month of July, as has been said, the imminent need
was known to be to provide suitable shelter against the fall and
winter rains. The members of the Finance Committee considered
the question of incorporation from the standpoint of the provision
of a body legally empowered to acquire land and to loan money
25
EMERGENCY METHODS
for building purposes. As a committee, therefore, it decided on
July 13 to carry out the recommendations made in the letter
written by Dr. Devine to its chairman, three days earlier, which
recommendation, it should be recalled, embodied the earlier
bonus plan suggestion made by one of its own members.
The certificate of incorporation * was issued July 20 to
hold for a period of five years. The president of the corporation,
the "San Francisco Relief and Red Cross Funds, a Corporation,"
was James D. Phelan; the first and second vice-presidents, F. W.
Dohrmann and W. F. Herrin; the secretary, J. Downey Harvey.
The president and first vice-president, with M. H. de Young,
Rudolph Spreckels, and Thomas Magee, formed the Executive
Committee. The personnel of the Corporation, with the excep-
tion of the governor of the state and the mayor, who were ex
officio members and directors of the Corporation, was identical with
that of the Finance Committee of Relief and Red Cross Funds
which it superseded, and whose funds it immediately took over.
The newly incorporated body held its meetings at the St.
Francis Technical School on Geary and Cough Streets, which took
the place of the Hamilton School as headquarters for all depart-
ments of the relief work. Later a warehouse was added to the
building to hold the remaining supplies. The meetings were open
to the press, and to officers and employes; and others with whom
the corporation had business were invited as was deemed expedient
to meet with the Executive Committee. At the third meeting,
held late in July, five departments were created:!
A. Finance and Publicity
B. Bills and Demands
C. Camps and Warehouses
D. Relief and Rehabilitation
E. Lands and Buildings
Each chairman was required to make an investigation of and
report on any undertaking of his department that called for an
appropriation. Each chairman was also a member of the Executive
Committee and was responsible for the appointment of his employes.
* See Appendix I, p. 398.
t See Appendix I, pp. 399-400. See also Diagram of Organization, p. xxv.
26
INCORPORATION OF THE FUNDS
He was further responsible for preparing monthly budgets and for
the printing and distribution of all printed matter.
From the plan of organization it is to be seen, of course,
that housing as a reason for incorporation had yielded to the
pressure to make inclusive the treatment by one incorporated
body of all divisions of the many-sided work.
The experiments of the preliminary and transition periods
had tried out many men and methods, so that on the newly in-
corporated body were found men of affairs who in the relief work
itself were ready to act in harmony and with method and to come
together in small groups for frequent meetings. If one looks at
the diagram of organization presented,* one sees how gradually
through the trying three months there had been a shaping through
experiment that made the San Francisco Relief and Red Cross
Funds itself a fruition that in germ lay in the union of official
effort and private initiative.
Step by step the confidence of the public at home and abroad
had had to be won. Only through the selection and trying out
of generous-minded and capable men could the suspicions of those
who controlled the contributions in the east have been dispelled. f
Only after the abortive effort to make political capital out of
positions of relief administration had fallen flat could the work
itself get into its steady swing. The lessons are clearly written,
however, that there must of necessity be in any great sudden
emergency the creation of public confidence in the administration
of the relief, and that along with a force of persons trained from
within and without to act quickly and with definiteness must be
the voluntary services of men and women on whom the community
itself has learned to rely.
A few notes of later date are added here to round out the ac-
count of organization.
On August I, 1906, Mr. Bicknell succeeded Dr. Devine as
the representative of the American National Red Cross, and he in
turn was succeeded on October i by Mr. Dohrmann.J
* See p. XXV.
fSee Part I, p. 99 flf.
t For positions held by Mr. Dohrmann and Mr. Bicknell on the Rehabilita-
tion Committee, see Part I, p. 21.
27
EMERGENCY METHODS
Early in the year 1907 the County Medical Society urged that
the balance of the relief fund should be used for the erection and
endowment of a free hospital. Impelled by this and similar re-
quests the Corporation did in February consider seriously the pos-
sibility of closing the work.
One year after the fire (April, 1907):
The Department of Bills and Demands had completed
its w^ork.
The Department of Finance and Publicity was working with
a greatly reduced force as it was relieved of the accounting con-
nected with claims and subscriptions.
The Department of Camps and Warehouses had under care
a camp population of about 17,614, but no longer distributed .food
or other supplies.
The Department of Relief and Rehabilitation had finished
the bulk of its work. The general taking of applications had
ceased for some time. Those on file were being passed upon and
closed as rapidly as possible. The final estimates and appropria-
tions for this work had been made. From this time on only
exceptional cases, and those few in number, were received. The
Housing Committee still had some work to do in connection with
the completion and inspection of houses granted by it, and with the
payment of the bonuses which it had guaranteed to pay to certain
applicants on the completion of houses which they were building for
themselves. The work of the Bureau of Special Relief was almost
finished. The work of the Hospital Bureau had to continue.
The Department of Lands and Buildings had completed its
building work, with the exception of the Relief Home. The Home
was expected to be finished in May.* A few hundred applications
were on file for allottment of bonuses from the second appropria-
tion. The first appropriation was exhausted.
Two years after the disaster (April 18, 1908):
The Department of Lands and Buildings had completed its
work.
The Department of Finance and Publicity, with a small force,
* For reasons for delay, see Part VI, p. 321.
28
Tent camp, opened May 9, 1966''
■> -» O O
Cottages
Camp No. 10, Potrero District
1 1
c %
• «
r,/^'
• • < *
INCORPORATION OF THE FUNDS
was making the settlements incidental to the closing of the camps
and the refunding of instalments to tenants. It was also preparing
its financial report.
The Department of Camps and Warehouses had removed
cottages from all the public squares but Lobos, where but 479 cot-
tages and 1,287* persons remained. This camp sheltered the poor-
est refugees. t Stricter sanitary measures could be enforced here
and care be given more cheaply than if the inmates had been re-
moved to cottages on private land. Bubonic plague in this camp
as well as elsewhere in the city had made precaution necessary.
The Department of Relief and Rehabilitation had become a
supervising agency. It supervised the collection of housing loans,
assisted the Executive Committee in making grants to charitable
institutions, and advised the Associated Charities which was admin-
istering the greater part of the relief needed in moving people from
the camps. t
The closing chapter of the complicated story of organization
was reached when, acting on the suggestion of its special repre-
sentative, Mr. Dohrmann, the American National Red Cross sent
Mr. Bicknell in January, 1909, to San Francisco to confer about
final plans. Mr. Bicknell had then accepted the recently created
position of national director of the American National Red Cross.
The creation of this position may be said to be one of the results
of the San Francisco relief experience. As a result of conferences!
between these two men who had played such a determining part in
San Francisco's struggle to help its people wisely to regain their
old standing, the Board of Trustees of Relief and Red Cross Funds
was formed in February, 1909.
* The number being the same as that given in Part VI, p. 324, as the
total number of persons at Ingleside Camp, is a mere coincidence.
t See Part I, p. 85.
tSee Part I, pp. 85-86.
§ For statement of action taken, see Appendix I, p. 401 ff.
29
II
METHODS OF DISTRIBUTION
1. SOURCES OF CONTRIBUTIONS
THE complicated story of organization seems comparatively
unimportant when one's mind is full of questions as to what
was to be distributed, and how many human beings were in
need of immediate relief. That there was general, quick recognition
of the need is shown by the quantities of supplies hurried to San
Francisco. Five thousand cars were reported April 28 to be on the
road. General C. A. Devol, who had charge of receiving and unload-
ing all supplies, states, however:* ''The stores that arrived for the
relief of San Francisco up to July 20 amounted to i ,702 carloads and
five steamship loads, a total of approximately 50,000 tons. At the
height of the operations about 1 50 carloads were delivered into the
city daily, in addition to stores arriving by steamers.'' The chair-
man of the Finance Committee reported to Mr. Taft, president of
the American National Red Cross, on November 28, 1906, that the
estimate of total receipts in kind was 1,850 carloads of food sup-
plies, and 150 carloads of bedding, tenting, clothing, and so forth.
During the first two weeks after the disaster the Southern
Pacific Railroad brought 1,099 carloads of relief supplies into the
city. Under orders of its president, right of way was given to
trains carrying these cargoes, and express time schedules were used
for the sake of speed. These receipts were not all direct donations,
as the contents of a number of carloads had been purchased by the
F^inance Committee and by the army from an appropriation of
$2,500,000 made by Congressf to be distributed under the direction
of the officers of the Pacific Division. There were also many
donations that were sent to agencies other than the Citizens' Com-
* Devol, Major (now General) C. A. : The Army in the San Francisco Disaster.
Journal United States Infantry Association, Vol. VI, No. i, pp. 59-87 (July, 1907).
Further quotation from this article will be found in Appendix I, p. 381, of this
volume.
t See Sixth Annual Report American National Red Cross, 19 10.
30
Transportation Routes about San Francisco
31
EMERGENCY METHODS
mittee, the Red Cross, and the army. These cannot be included
in any estimate as there was no complete record of the amounts.
It was found to be difficult to protect the mass of the rations
in the railroad yards and in transit to the warehouse against seizure
by ordinary thieves and by those who felt justified in disregarding
the usual rights of property. Goods were stolen, in quantities that
could not be reckoned, by those who expected to realize a profit as
well as by those who considered that they had the right to seize
what they felt was destined to meet their need. Some of these
confiscated boxes were addressed not to the relief authorities but
to specified persons and groups of persons in San Francisco or at
other points about the bay. A further incentive to confiscate lay
in the action of the police who, as was generally known, acting on
the orders of the chief of police, had broken open about lOO grocery
and provision stores that were doomed to be destroyed by fire.
The police, after making a rough estimate of the value of the stock,
distributed freely to the destitute.
When the cars reached San Francisco, along with the bulk of
the shipments which were addressed either to the quartermaster
of the army, who was designated to have charge of all supplies sent
to the American National Red Cross, or to the Citizens' Com-
mittee, were boxes addressed to the mayor, to the churches, to
other organizations of all kinds, and to individuals. It would
have interfered seriously with the work of relief if an effort had
been made to find the persons to whom special boxes were directed.
The American National Red Cross through its representative, in
whose care many boxes with specific directions were sent, did all
that was possible to carry out the intent of the donors, but it
could not in every instance find the intended recipient. Many in-
quiries were received as to barrels and boxes which had not reached
their destination, but the cost of tracing these and the cost of
making special deliveries under the then existing conditions were
often greater than the value of the packages themselves.
An illustration of the difficulty of delivering special packages
is the story of eight cases of bread pans which were addressed to the
"Relief Committee" and were quickly distributed among the
refugees. When the manufacturing company that shipped the
cases learned on inquiry of the bakers for whose use they were in-
32
SOURCES OF CONTRIBUTIONS
tended that they had not received them, it threatened to file a
claim for loss. The trouble, however, lay in the fact that a letter
of instruction addressed to the mayor got effectually separated
from the boxes.
No complete record of cash contributions can be made. Some
of the committees throughout the country expended part of their
funds to purchase supplies to be forwarded to San Francisco or to
relieve refugees at home, or failed to collect all the money reported
to have been contributed. The money reported as subscribed in
the state of California is far from representing the actual value of
relief contributed. Being so near the scene of disaster the Cali-
fornia communities wisely contributed supplies in large quantities
for immediate use and also cared for large numbers of refugees who
came to them. The official reports of contributions cannot there-
fore give credit to all communities for all the relief furnished by
each, nor can they show the amounts contributed by the smaller
cities when these forwarded their contributions through the larger
city committees. Nor can a record of contributions sent to the
American Red Cross be found in the published list of contributors
to the committee in San Francisco.
TABLE I. — CASH RECEIPTS OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE OF RELIEF
AND RED CROSS FUNDS, AND ITS SUCCESSOR, THE CORPORA-
TION,* TO JUNE I, 1909
Cash donations, including San Francisco subscriptions and Red
Cross remittances $8,921,452.86
I nterest on deposits (in part at 3 per cent and in part at 2 per cent) . 97,2 54.80
Exchange 1,140.65
Receipts from sales of commodities donated in whole or in part:
Sales of surplus flour . . . . . . . $216,717.15
Sales of foodstuffs 41,498.07
Sales of tents 14,826.55
Total 273,041.77
Total receipts from donations $9,292,890.08
Receipts from sales of commodities purchased, loans repaid, instal-
ments, etc 380,167.86
Total cash receipts $9,673,057.94
The total cash donations, §8,921,452.86, given in Table i, do
*The San Francisco Relief and Red Cross Funds, a Corporation. See
Part I, p. 25 ff.
3 33
EMERGENCY METHODS
not include the $2,500,000 appropriated by Congress, which was dis-
bursed in the first two months for food, clothing, bedding, shelter,
etc., nor an estimate of the numerous independent funds which were
probably expended within the first month, nor of the enormous
quantity of supplies donated by the people of the country. These
supplied the first needs of the destitute and enabled the Committee
to save its cash for later and more permanent forms of relief.
TABLE 2. — CASH CONTRIBUTIONS FOR THE RELIEF OF SAN FRANCISCO,
TO JUNE I, 1909, RECEIVED BY THE FINANCE COMMITTEE OF
RELIEF AND RED CROSS FUNDS, AND ITS SUCCESSOR, THE
CORPORATION, AND BY AMERICAN NATIONAL RED CROSS, BY
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN
Country of origin
San Francisco
About 2500 cities and towns of the
United States ....
Austria (Sec't'y Amer. Embassy at
Vienna).
Australia .
Belgium .
Canada
Cape Colony (Americans)
Ceylon
China
Cuba
England .
France (Amer.
merce, Paris,
Germany
Japan
Total
Chamber of Com-
§20,850)
Mexico
Russia
Scotland
United States of Colombia (Ameri-
cans)
Received by
Finance Com-
mittee of Re-
lief and Red
Cross Funds
and the Cor-
poration
Received by
the American
National Red
Cross
13,090.83
5,261,898.35 I §2,967,079.90
385.96
50.00
145.097- 1 5
40,000.00
5.00
6,522.58
20,850.00
50.00
98,960.10
14,286.44
5145
200.00
,001,447.86
50.00
315.50
464.00
32.33
729.30
48.30
385.08
146,000.00
193.87
147-57
50.40
Total
§3,115,496.25
§413,090.83
8,228,978.25
50.00
385.96
50.00
145,412.65
464.00
32.33
40,000.00
734-30
6,570.88
21,235.08
50.00
244,960.10
14,480.31
199.02
50.40
200.00
§9,116,944.11
The donations mentioned in Table 2 do not include ^100,000
34
SOURCES OF CONTRIBUTIONS
given to the University of California Hospital by the Massachu-
setts Association for the Relief of California.
It appears from the figures of the two preceding tables
that while on June i, 1909, money to the amount of $9,1 16,944.1 1
had been contributed for the relief of San Francisco, $8,921,452.86
had been received by the Finance Committee of Relief and Red
Cross Funds and by the Corporation. This difference between
the amount donated and the amount received by the local
organizations to which the work of relief had been entrusted
is explained by the fact that not all the money contributed
through the American National Red Cross had been paid over to
the Finance Committee or to the San Francisco Relief and Red
Cross Funds by June i, 1909. The disposition made of the money
contributed through the American National Red Cross is shown
in Table 3.
TABLE 3. — DISPOSITION OF CASH CONTRIBUTED FOR THE RELIEF
OF SAN FRANCISCO THROUGH THE AMERICAN NATIONAL RED
CROSS, TO JUNE I, I909*
Total donations made through the American National
Red Cross $3, 11 5,496.25
Remitted to San Francisco to June I, 1909 . . $2,920,005.00
Administration expenses, purchase of relief sup-
plies, and transportation of refugees . . . 47»073-35
Sent to Italy (for Messina earthquake sufferers,
1909) 50,000.00
Total disbursements to June I, 1909 3,017,078.35
Balanceavailablefromdonations, June I, 1909 198,417.90
The statement shows that of the $3,115,496.25 donated
through the American National Red Cross up to June i, 1909,
$2,920,005.00 had been remitted to San Francisco. The balance
received but not remitted was therefore $195,491.25,1 of which
$97,073.35 was disbursed directly by the Red Cross. It will be
seen that this balance equals the difference between the total
amount donated for the relief of San Francisco and the amount
of the cash donations received to June i, 1909.
* For detailed account of receipts and disbursements see Sixth Annual Re-
port, American National Red Cross, 19 10, pp. 60-152.
t Subsequent to June i, 1909, the sum of $100,545.65 was forwarded to San
Francisco, this sum comprising the fe8,4 17.90 above mentioned, together with
a portion of the accrued interest and a delayed contribution.
35
EMERGENCY METHODS
2. DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD
Food was of course the first necessity, and out of the need
to supply it grew the whole machinery of relief. Before the noon
of Thursday, April 19, the Citizens' Committee had appointed
a sub-committee on relief of the hungry, with Rabbi Voorsanger
as chairman, to furnish food for the entire population, which for
a time fell into a series of long bread lines. In these Hues rich
and poor, Italian, German, Swedish, Chinese, and native fared alike.
The only question was one of need. From the mayor and the
military officers down to the humblest families in the Potrero,
there was a good-humored acquiescence in the hardships of the
situation, and an optimism that was inspiring. Supplies in suffi-
cient quantities were rushed to the city, and the danger of suffering
from lack of food was averted.
The sub-committee began the distribution of food April 20.
It at once called on the army to furnish an officer, two companies
of infantry, and a troop of cavalry to guard rather than to distrib-
ute what supplies had become available. It took steps to get
flour from points around the bay and studied the situation as
to the bakeries, some of the largest of which had been burned or
damaged. Repairs were being made to some of those damaged,
and a daily output of 50,000 loaves of bread was shortly to be
expected.
The ruling was made that after the committee on relief of
the hungry had received the quantity of bread it needed, the bakers
might sell the remainder at not more than 10 cents a loaf, in quanti-
ties of not more than five loaves to one person. The committee
was furthermore authorized by the Citizens' Committee to levy
on all supplies wherever found. The following notes show the
general trend of the work during the first week.
On Friday, April 20, while the fire was still spreading, the
general distribution was begun. About 25 wagons were impressed
which were used in the distribution of the provisions seized by
order of the committee. Refugees were standing in line at the
Golden Gate Park Lodge; the Young Men's Hebrew Association,
Page and Stanyan Streets; St. Mary's Cathedral, Van Ness
Avenue and O'Farrell Street; at Jefferson and Columbia Squares,
36
All classes joined the bread line
1 J
Soldiers gave aid and protection
Relieving the Hungry
'c ♦
DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD
and alt the corners of Fifth and Mission Streets and 24th and
Douglas Streets, where food stations had already been established
by the citizens. The committee made use of these for its own
distribution, choosing the Young Men's Hebrew Association as
its base for general distribution.
The bakeries that day furnished 35,000 loaves of bread.
The chief difficulty lay in transporting to the city the supplies
that were available — 5,000 tons of flour at Vallejo and many car-
loads of donated goods at Oakland.
On Saturday, April 21, the day the fire was brought under
control, the city was reported to be divided into districts. Five
bakeries were in operation and a committee from Fresno appeared
before the Citizens' Committee to announce that it had brought
six carloads of supplies. Committees from some nearby com-
munities put themselves under the direction of the Citizens'
Committee, but the general efficiency of the distribution was
lowered by the fact that still other out of town committees under-
took to make independent distributions.
On Sunday, April 22, arrangements had been made to have
bread baked in the towns of the Santa Clara Valley. It was
found necessary to carry into efi^ect the committee ruling to prevent
alleged exorbitant retail charges for bread.
On Monday, April 23, there was an abundance of supplies
for present use and an over-supply of milk.
On Tuesday, April 24, there was a shortage of sugar and
cofi^ee. Sixty food stations had been established. No stores were
found on investigation to be charging exorbitant prices for food,
but some of the refugees were trying to get more than their share
of food. Confusion was still being caused by the work of the
independent relief committees.
When two days later the committee on relief of the hungry
made its final report to the Finance Committee there had been
established 128 stations and sub-stations, a warehouse in the
Moulder School, Page and Cough Streets, and a branch ware-
house at Spear and Howard Streets. It had had printed a card
for the use of the applicant at the food station and had determined
that rations, except in cases of emergency, should be issued to
each person at intervals of three days. Every card carried a
37
ExMERGENCY METHODS
Statement of the amount of food required by a person for a day,
as follows:
Fresh beef, \}4 lbs. or bacon or ham, ^ lb.
Salt fish, K lb. [Probably as a substitute for meat and not in
addition to it.]
Fresh or canned vegetables, i lb.
Flour, i8 oz., or bread, 22 oz.
Rice, Ys lb. or beans, X lb.
Sugar, rV lb.
Coffee, tV lb.
Special diet, — eggs, butter, milk, fruit, — was also issued.
This ration was more liberal than that adopted by the
armv.
9i>
During the trial week the distribution of food was made to
the refugees either from the stations or at the various camps or
shelters. Though a fixed ration was agreed on there could be no
certainty of delivery, as the quantity and variety of the food
supply was indeterminate. The committee in making its report
could give only an approximate estimate of the goods it had seized.
It anticipated that claims would be made against it as well as
against the United States army, the state militia, the police
department, and the various volunteer organizations which had
without authorization seized goods.
It arranged to pay the bakeries at a rate of 3 cents a loaf
for the 255,630 loaves of bread which had been supplied by them to
the committee, part of the paj-ment to be made in flour, and to
pay the Milk Dealers' Association at a rate of not more than 20
cents a gallon for milk supplied by it. The committee had em-
ployed between three and four hundred men and as many trucks to
transport supplies, but it did not know the extent of its obligation
for the use of the latter.
During the first week after the disaster there was a growing
inclination to turn to the army for the direction of the relief
work. Though the army in common with every other body of
persons had suffered serious losses, its efficiency as an organization
could not be impaired even though the extent of the aid it could
immediately give were lessened.
* See Appendix I, p. 379 ff. This General Orders No. 18, is an important
document to be read in connection with any facts given about the army methods.
38
DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD
To the military reservations which lay outside the burned
district refugees immediately fled in numbers, and on April 19,
the day the committee on relief of the hungry began its work.
Major Krauthoff issued from a depot established by him in the
Presidio such food as could be spared from the Presidio itself
and from Forts Mason and Miley. The great army warehouses,
which had stored $2,000,000 worth of supplies, were burned, but
along with the committee on relief of the hungry the army began
to confiscate supplies for use on the reservations. It also pur-
chased from the posts in the Departments of California and the
Columbia 900,000 rations, the first shipment of which arrived
on April 21. On that same day a steamer from Stockton put in
at Fort Mason with donations of provisions and blankets. These
were immediately distributed among 20,000 refugees.
The committee on relief of the hungry had not been given
full authority nor had its powers been defined. It had no ma-
chinery adequate for the handling of a great bulk of supplies,
and it was hindered by the crossing of efforts on the part of un-
authorized agencies.
The Finance Committee, as has been said in Chapter I,
was the committee of power, and might have assumed responsibil-
ity for perfecting an adequate relief organization, but as it realized
that its efforts could not be as quickly effective as those of the army,
it, as well as the mayor, called on the army to assume control of
the relief work. General Greely consented and on April 29 took
charge of the food issues and gradually put the work under the
direction of 64 officers and 500 enlisted men.
Major C. A. Devol, depot quartermaster, who took over
the tremendous task of unloading cars and boats and transporting
supplies to and from warehouses,* quickly introduced order and
economy into the work. Major C. R. Krauthoff, in charge of the
commissary department, was also able soon to reduce to an
efficient routine his work of receiving donated supplies, of pur-
chasing, selling, and storing supplies, and of issuing properly
balanced rations.
In the report made in July, 1906, to the War Department,
Colonel Febiger, who from April 29 had charge of the organization
* See Appendix I, p. 383 ff. See also Part I, pp. 8 and 30.
39
EMERGENCY METHODS
of relief stations, and later became chief of the Bureau of Con-
solidated Relief Stations, which had been established by the army
to facilitate the relief work, said that on taking charge he had found/
after a most thorough investigation, no instance of extreme
suffering from lack of food or shelter, but many instances of
repeating, so that the number of rations issued was in excess of
the needs of the population. With no accepted general organi-
zation bringing about the co-ordinating of relief, there was of
necessity an exaggerated estimate of the needy.
General Greely, who during his Arctic explorations had
learned what extreme suffering from hunger and cold meant, had
the city canvassed on May 13 in order to find any case of destitu-
tion which might have been overlooked. All of his inspectors,
with 30 officers in addition to the officers directly connected with
the relief work, were ordered to make a special effort to learn of
persons in absolute need of food and decent clothing or of bed and
shelter. The result was that but two such cases were reported.
During the early days orders were issued forbidding all
householders to light fires in their houses. Cooking, in consequence,
was done in the street over open fires or on rusty stoves which
belched smoke out of short sections of pipe. In those days only
candles were permitted for light and they had to be extinguished
at 8 p.m.
Relief Stations and Registration
As stated in Chapter 1,* the northern part of the city was,
for purposes of policing, put under military control the third day
after the disaster. Later, for purposes of relief, the city was
divided into seven sections, whose boundaries were made coter-
minous with those of the army districts. On May 8, each section
was supplied by the army with an officer who made regular reports
to the headquarters of the Bureau of Consolidated Relief Stations,
and with a physician who was responsible for sanitation and for
diet prescriptions. Nine depots and sub-depots were open for
storage of food supplies.
To give some idea of the character and origin of the relief
stations a table of the relief stations of Civil Section VI is given:
* See Part I, pp. 11-12.
40
Preparing meals in the btfe^ct
■» 0 3 •
» » -> >
A row of street kitchens
Fires in Houses were Prohibited
«
' \
• • *
t
« » *.
TABLE 4. — CHARACTER OF LOCATION, ORIGIN, AND DATES OF OPEN-
ING AND CLOSING OF RELIEF STATIONS OF CIVIL SECTION VI
Station
number
Character of
location
Opened by
Date opened
Date closed
600
Planing Mill
Citizens of neighbor-
hood
April 19
June 12a
601
Saloon
Committee, Citizens
of neighborhood
24
May 21
602
Church
Pastor of same
26a
July I
606
Butcher shop
Citizens of neighbor-
hood
24
June la
609
Police station
Committee, Citizens
of neighborhood
25a
(Unknown)
610
Shack
Mission Relief Com-
mittee
20
(Unknown)
611
City Park
Committee of citizens
22a
June 2
613
(Unknown)
Committee, Citizens
of neighborhood
22a
May 15
616
Bakery
Citizens of neighbor-
hood
23
June 23
618
Schoolhouse
Citizens of neighbor-
hood
22a
June 16
619
Barn
Volunteers
2ia
June 23
620
Hot Meal Kitchen
Los Angeles Relief
Committee
(Unknown)
(Unknown)
622
Tent
U. S. Army
April 25a
June 23
623
Maennerbund
Local Order of Eagles
20a
May 14
624
11 d.11
Public square
Citizens of neighbor-
hood
20a
June 14
626
Shack
Citizens of neighbor-
hood
27a
May 2ia
627
(Unknown)
Committee, Citizens
of neighborhood
22
June 9
628
Hall
Committee, Citizens
of neighborhood
20
June 9
629
Residence
Citizens
25a
May 13
630
Schoolhouse
Physician and other
citizens
22a
May 31a
631
(Unknown)
(Unknown)
(Unknown)
May 13
632
(Unknown)
(Unknown)
(Unknown)
June 16
634
(Unknown)
Citizens
April 23
May 12
635
(Unknown)
(Unknown)
(Unknown)
(Unknown)
636
Residence
Society of Native
Daughters
April 26a
May 26a
637
(Unknown)
(Unknown)
(Unknown)
May 13
641
Cellar
Ancient Order of Hi-
bernians
April 24a
June 23a
642
Residence
Two physicians
22a
(Unknown)
643
City and County
Hospital Grounds
U. S. Army
25a
(Unknown)
645
Saloon
Ancient Order of Hi-
bernians
25
June 2oa
646
Schoolhouse
Citizens of neighbor-
hood
23
June 15
647
School
A physician
20
May la
a Approximate.
41
EMERGENCY METHODS
There is no information to show that any one of these sub-
stations had been established by the committee on reHef of the
hungrw As may be borne in mind, the number of stations in use
on April 26 was reported by the committee on relief of the hungry
to be 128; three days later, on taking charge, the army reported
177; early in May the number dropped, as is shown by Table 5,
to 1 12.
TABLE 5. — RELIEF STATIONS IN THE SEVEN CIVIL SECTIONS ON
MAY 3 AND ON JUNE 3, I906
CIVIL SECTION
Food
stations
on May 3
Food
stations
on June 3
Hot meal
Number
Headquarters
•
kitchens
on June 3
I
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII
Presidio entrance ....
Oak St. near Stanyan .
3055 Van Ness Ave.
Hamilton School, Geary and Scott
Sts
Buena Vista School, i8th and York
Sts
24th St. and Potrero Ave.
25th and Guerrero Sts.
19
8
5
35
9
21
15
3
4
10
3
5
8
4
3
3
4
4
2
Tota
1
•
112
33
20
Dr. Devine as representative of the American National Red
Cross had appointed a civil chairman to be responsible for the
receiving and investigation of applications. After May i, the
responsibility for the distribution of supplies was divided at each
section between the military officer and the civil chairman. The
civil chairman determined who should receive relief and the
military officer made the necessary requisition on the Bureau of
Consolidated Relief Stations.
The records of relief distribution are incomplete and there
is no means of determining accurately from week to week the
number of persons who received food, clothing, and other supplies,
medical care and shelter. The most complete records* are
furnished by the official camps. Colonel Febiger in his July report,
already quoted, says that "313,145 persons were on May 2 esti-
* For report sheet forms see Appendix II, pp. 430 and 431.
42
RELIEF STATIONS AND REGISTRATION
mated to be receiving rations, though this number should prob-
ably be reduced to 300,000 to make allowance for repeaters/'
General Greely made estimate that the number of cases of fraudu-
lent repeating was not more than 3 per cent of the whole.
TABLE 6. — DAILY ISSUES OF RATIONS FROM APRIL I9 TO MAY 12,
1 906
Date
Number of per-
sons (estimated)
Date
Number of per-
sons (actual)
1906
April 19 .
100,000
1906
May I . . .
3i3>ii7
20 ,
1 50,000
2
3i3»M7
21
200,000
3
279,63 1
22 .
225,000
4
230,207
23
24
250,000
270,000
5 -
6 .
264,570
262,027
25
26 .
290,000
306,000
7 .
8
233,989
223,915
27
28
29 .
«
310,000
315,000
315,000
9 •
10
1 1 .
222,313
204,637
186,960
30
315,000
12 .
147,232
Daily average
253*833
Daily average
240,143
Care has been taken to verify the estimate of the issues,
which has called for some reduction of the totals as given in earlier
reports. This accounts for the slight discrepancy between Colonel
Febiger's figure for May 2 and that given in the table.
The reason for the large increase in numbers in the bread
line in the days immediately after the disaster is that house-
holders had by then exhausted their private stock and could not
make purchases, as most of the goods in retail stores had been
confiscated; nor could food be prepared in private houses until
chimneys had on inspection been found safe. From a week to
two or three months, according to the location and the activity
of the inspection, the fire prohibition held. In towns across the bay
people with money in bank had difficulty in securing food because
the banks were temporarily closed and the retail stores could not
determine when they would be able to replenish their stock.
43
EMERGENCY METHODS
As the number in the bread line in the early part of iMay
represented two-thirds of the population of a city that had been
raised to a high degree of prosperity by the industry and thrift
of its citizens, there would have been rapid decrease in the number
of applicants for rations even had there been no concerted plan
to reduce numbers. Pressure was brought from without, however,
which, as is shown in the following paragraph, did accelerate the
citizens' return as a body to the normal means of making pro-
vision for creature needs.
In order that the smaller traders might be encouraged
to resume business and the funds be reserved in a great measure
to give permanent relief, the representatives of the army and
the American National Red Cross co-operated during late April
and early May in a strenuous effort to lessen the number supplied
with rations. The attractiveness of the free food issues was
diminished by reducing the ration items to meat, bread, and vege-
tables for all applicants in sound health except such as were living
in the camps under military control. The number of the stations
was rapidly reduced, as shown by Table 5. After the middle of
May, except in cases of invalidism, rations were issued but three
times a week, and an offer was made of a final issue of a month's
rations to any one who would accept that in place of the regular
allowances. These measures served to concentrate in the per-
manent camps those refugees who were to continue as charges
on the relief administration. The work of concentration was
hindered, however, by the numerous private relief stations through-
out the city which could be persuaded only gradually to send their
patrons to the public relief stations. An Associated Charities
worker who knew well the people in one large section of the city
went through the tents with a soldier and demanded the return
of extra bacon, canned goods, and potatoes, which had been laid in
by thrifty refugees who had made use of both public and private
food stations.
The Red Cross began within the first week of the disaster
a general registration of the refugees. As substantially every one
in the city was at that time dependent on the relief stations for
food, the natural way of getting access to the refugees was through
the distribution of rations. Carl C. Plehn, professor of finance
44
RELIEF STATIONS AND REGISTRATION
in the University of California, whose experience as director of
the census of the PhiHppine Islands suggested special fitness for
the work, undertook to prepare a plan, organize the force, and
superintend the work of a registration bureau. The force consisted
of some 200 volunteers from among the public school teachers, an
intelligent and capable, even though inexperienced, group of enu-
merators. Their regular employment stopped on April 18, but
their salaries were paid to the end of the school year. Though the
service given was very unequal and largely unsatisfactory, if
judged by the standard of a census bureau or a charity organiza-
tion society, it is doubtful whether at the time so high an aver-
age of efficiency could have been obtained in any other way.
On April 27 Professor Plehn submitted a tentative plan for
the registration. By May 7 the cards* and instructions had been
printed, a force of 175 persons was in the field, and the work was
well under way. Ten days later 20,000 cards had been filled out
and the canvass was practically completed as far as it could then
be carried.
After excluding duplicates as far as they could be detected,
the 19,438 cards, which represented the same number of families
or household parties, distributed the 84,703 persons included
among the seven sections as follows:
TABLE 7. — FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS REGISTERED IN THE SEVEN
CIVIL SECTIONS, MAY, I906
FAMILIES OR PARTIES
INDIVIDUALS
Sprtinn
REGISTERED
REGISTERED
Number
Per cent
Number
Per cent
1 . . .
II . . .
2,590
813
133
4.2
10,206
3,076
12. 1
3.6
Ill ...
3*097
15.9
12,473
H-7
IV . . .
V . . .
VI . . .
2,577
2,220
2,876
133
1 1.4
14.8
10,737
8,384
14,896
12.7
9.9
17.6
VII ...
5*265
27.1
24*931
29.4
Total .
19,438
1 00.0
84,703
lOO.O
* See Appendix II, pp. 425 and 426.
45
EMERGENCY METHODS
The 84,703 individuals were 28,319 men, 32,650 women,
22,795 children, and 939 persons who were entered under the
heading. "Aged, etc."*
The information recorded on the registration cards varies
in completeness and value on account of the great diversity in
carefulness and capability among the persons who collected it.
Man\' of the cards were filled out intelligently and conscientiously;
man>' are wholly unsatisfactory. Taken together, however, they
give a rough picture of that quarter or third, whichever it may
have been, of the city's population which was still, in the middle
of May, dependent on the general distribution of food for its daily
supplies; and they reflect to some extent the dislocations that were
brought about by the disaster, in residence, occupation, and
circumstances.
It was not the primary object of the registration to fur-
nish material for a description of the refugees, but to establish
a uniform system of food distribution which should prevent
waste by cutting out repeaters, apportioning the number of
rations to the size of the family, and cutting off persons as they
reached a position where they no longer needed to be dependent.
Other purposes were also in mind. At the beginning, in fact,
the efforts seem to have been made to provide a record of the
persons who received relief, for historical purposes and for aid
in determining their future needs. It was also hoped that the
registration could be made of practical value to the state labor
* This classification was adopted for the purpose of determining the number
of rations required by the family, and for that reason the dividing line between
children and adults was placed at twelve years, the allowance for a child under
twelve being placed at half the standard ration. "Men'* and "Women" meant
respectively the number of males and females twelve years of age and over, who
were not aged and infirm. The heading, "Aged, etc." (see card, Appendix II, p.
425), was an unfortunate one for statistical purposes, especially as on some of the
cards it was printed "Ages, etc." It was intended to be used, as the instructions
to the enumerator clearly stated, for recording the "number of persons so old, sick,
or crippled, as to be presumably unable to support themselves by labor." This
information would have had much practical value, but the cards show plainly that
the ambiguity of the heading on the card was not corrected in the enumerators'
minds (as such ambiguity can rarely be corrected) by the careful explanation in
the instructions. In many cases, when an entry was made under it, it was the ages
of the children; in other cases it was apparently the number of adults in the party
who were not immediate members of the family. The figures which have been
tabulated are only of significance as recording so many additional adults. They
do not indicate the proportion of aged and infirm, or the amount of physical dis-
ability among the refugees.
46
The bread line, Mission Dist.i'((;V
Relief station, Mission District
Distribution of Relief Supplies
• •
RELIEF STATIONS AND REGISTRATION
commissioner, in the free employment bureau* which had been
opened. In part for this last reason, information was asked about
former occupation and former employer, union membership, and
present employment.
The registration was made at the relief stations, the cards
being filled out when applicants came for rations. If the applicant
did not live within the boundaries of the section served by the
station to which he had come he was referred to the proper station.
When the applicant had been registered he was given a food card f
bearing a serial number, good for ten days, which stated con-
spicuously, so that the attendants could see, even before he reached
the counter, the number of rations to which his family was en-
titled, and showed uncanceled the dates on which the card would
be honored. The food card number was entered on the registration
card, which was kept at the relief station. Each time rations were
drawn the date for which they were drawn was canceled on the
card. After the registration had been completed at any station
no rations were issued except on presentation of a food card.
By this system abuses were controlled: no one could draw
supplies from two or more stations, nor two or three times on the
same day from the same station, nor for more persons than he
represented; able-bodied men, for whom by this time there was
abundant opportunity of employment, could be cut off; and at
the expiration of the ten-day period the merits of the case could
be reviewed before granting a renewal of the food card.
It was through its success in establishing a uniform and
workable system of food distribution that the first registration
was most valuable. It did not prove to be of much service in
aiding applicants to find employment, in giving a record of the
entire work of relief, or in furnishing a basis for the rehabilitation
work. That it failed in realizing all that was hoped from it in
these directions was due partly to changes in the labor situation,
which soon made efi^orts to supply employment superfluous;
* A free employment bureau at Hearst School in charge of State Labor Com-
missioner Stafford closed its office May 29, 1906, after four weeks' work, during
which time employment was found for over 1,100 men and 93 women. See 12th
Biennial Report of the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the State of California, 1905-06.
For brief mention of the work of the employment bureau see Charities and the
Commons, June 2, 1906, p. 304.
t A reproduction of the card is shown in Appendix 1 1, p. 427.
47
EMERGENCY METHODS
partly to some ambiguity and lack of defmiteness in the headings
on the card, and the omission of some essential items; but chiefly
to the many omissions on the part of the enumerators,, the lack
of uniformity in their interpretation of the headings on the card,
and the large amount of carelessness they exhibited in recording the
information that was secured. The inexperience of the enumera-
tors in investigation, the immense difficulty of supervising them
adequately when the automobile and the wagon were the only
means of transportation between the far-scattered stations, and
the necessity for getting the whole work done as speedily as possible,
so that there was no time for correcting mistakes or training
investigators, are the simple explanations of these defects.
If all the circumstances are taken into consideration — the
number of persons affected by the disaster, the extent of the
territory to be covered, the difficulty of getting about, the con-
fusion which still existed among the many elements of the relief
organization, and the inexperience in relief work of those who
made the registration, both university professors and public school
teachers — the results obtained were surprisingly satisfactory. The
registration would have justified itself if it had done nothing more
than systematize the food distribution and contribute toward the
reduction of the bread lines. This it undoubtedly did.
An indication of the effectiveness of the first registration,
as may be seen in Table 1 1 ,* is the sudden drop in the number of
persons who received rations after May 12, a decrease of 21 per
cent on that day against an average daily decrease for the five
preceding days of slightly over 7 per cent. The marked drop of
May 16 is, however, in part due to the stimulation to self-help
caused by putting into effect the order that rations should be issued
only three times a week. The general use of the food card was an
important factor in bringing about the reduction; another, the
rapid increase in the number of persons gaining self-support. One
special use to which the so-called first registration was put was to
determine who should receive special diet. The diet included meat,
fresh milk, butter and eggs, vegetables, and fruit, and was prepared
for the sick, the aged, and for mothers with infants. The method
of its distribution varied in the different sections and from time to
* See Part I, p. 53.
48
HOT MEAL KITCHENS
time, but the policy was to subject its distribution to more direct
control from the central office than the ordinary rations. Issues
of special diet were not finally discontinued until October i, a
few days before the closing of the last kitchen.
A second general registration* was made in June by the
American National Red Cross staff of workers with the aid of the
camp commanders. General Greely appreciated the need of
having a more complete case record of the individuals who were
making use of the camps, in order that a restriction of numbers
might be judiciously and expeditiously made. The relief workers
outside the camps, also, realized clearly the need of a more ade-
quate registration as a basis for intelligent rehabilitation work.
Hot Meal Kitchens
The Bureau of Consolidated Relief Stations, acting on the
advice of the Finance Committee, opened its first kitchen in Lobos
Square about the middle of May to serve hot meals both to
refugees and to persons able to pay for their food. From immedi-
ately after the disaster kitchens had been established by voluntary
relief committees as the best means of feeding the people living in
or near the camps. One such committee, that of Los Angeles,
sent equipment to furnish five kitchens, with a representative,
Mr. Desmond, of the Desmond Construction Company, to put
them in operation. They were intended freely to furnish food and
they gave timely aid in the early days.
When the Bureau opened its own community kitchens,t the
experiment was made as a distinctive part of the eff^ort to reduce
the long bread lines. The kitchens were intended to test the needs
of those applying for free food, because the number of those
willing to accept relief in food was expected to sufi^er diminution
when a common eating room was off^ered. They were also to give
a convenient eating place to persons able to pay but not able to
provide their own food, with the privilege of sitting at separate
tables and of ordering a better quality of food than that furnished
at the free tables. They were also to serve to the aged and infirm
* See Part II, p. 115. For registration card, see Appendix II, pp. 428 and
429.
t For partial list of kitchens and dates of closing, see Sixth Annual Report
of the American National Red Cross, 19 10, p. 43.
4 49
EMERGENCY METHODS
better food than had been suppHed to them before. The kitchen
system was intended to be economical and sanitary. Sanitary
inspection could be made more thorough when in each encamp-
ment there should be one general kitchen rather than 'scattered
individual kitchens for the preparing of free rations. Insistence
on the first article of the new experiment — the common eating
room — made Section VII, in the part of the city known as the
Mission, unwilling to open a kitchen. It successfully opposed the
step because it was one that the Mission workers felt would degrade
the people and tend to destroy the privacy of family life.
It must be borne in mind that the kitchen system was
introduced after the bread line had been reduced to less than one-
half its greatest length, and that it threw into conspicuous relief
those who were without power to re-establish themselves or un-
willing to try to do so.
The hot meal kitchens caused no sudden drop in the amount
of food distributed. On May 12 when, as has been already com-
mented upon, there was a marked decrease in the number of
persons receiving rations, there were but five kitchens in operation;
but the new method did effectively help to weed out those who no
longer needed free rations. Colonel Febiger wrote late in June
that ''by the operation of these hot food camps thousands of
dollars were saved for future relief; probably 95 per cent of the
1 5,000 persons now being supported by food relief were absolutely
in need of it, those not in need either having withdrawn or having
been forced out."
The kitchens were at first run exclusively by the Desmond
Construction Company under contract with the Bureau of Con-
solidated Relief Stations; that company, which had already made
its experiment, having been the only one willing to undertake what
was considered by the contractors to be an undesirable job. When
by June 21 the number of kitchens had been gradually increased
to 27, two other contractors were operating under the Bureau.
The Bureau and the Red Cross provided police protection,
furnished sites for the kitchens, and supplied fuel and water.
Each contractor provided his own buildings or tents, equipment,
and service. The contractor agreed to furnish a wholesome meal,
and to submit his daily menu to the relief officials for approval.
50
An open air dining ro'Jrri
In Golden Gate Park
Hot Meal Kitchens
<
« c
HOT MEAL KITCHENS
The following is a typical daily menu:
Breakfast Dinner
Hot Hash, or Hot Mush and Milk Hot Soup, or Roast Beef of Hash
One Vegetable, Bread
Bread or Hot Biscuit
Coffee, and Sugar
Coffee, and Sugar
Supper
Soup, or Irish Stew
Bread or Hot Biscuits
Tea, and Sugar
Meals were supplied to any person who was ready to pay cash or
who possessed a meal ticket. The meal tickets were issued daily
by the Red Cross and were redeemed by it by payment made to
the contractor in cash or in kind from the relief supplies. The
original plan was to serve ten-cent free meals with provision for
granting an extra five-cent purchase to such persons as might be
considered in need of extra food.
Certain kitchens within the Presidio reservation are not
reported on later than July 1 1, when they were furnishing about
1,200 meals a day. One thousand meals a day would probably
be a liberal estimate for the remainder of the time, thirty days,
that these Presidio kitchens were to remain open, but such an es-
timate is not included in Table 8.
TABLE 8. — MEALS SERVED BY HOT MEAL KITCHENS, FROM MAY TO
OCTOBER, 1906, INCLUSIVE
MEALS SERVED
Amounts disbursed
from Relief and Red
Cross Funds in
payment for meals
Month
Free
Paid
May
June
July . . .
August .
September
October .
87,160
402,522
486,182
377,776
109,448
11,875
(Unknown)
1,027 (all in 3 days)
3,786 (all in 1 1 days)
4,608
684
(Unknown)
$46,610.55
75,756.30
61,379.75
17,746.80
2,953.14
Total .
1,474,963
(Unknown)
(Unknown)
From the data on hand we can estimate the proportion of ten-
cent meals at 12. i per cent and fifteen-cent meals at 87.9 per cent.
51
EMERGENCY METHODS
The first report of meals paid for is for June 28. Those
who patronized these restaurants paid from 10 to 20 cents for their
meals, "ihe average price being 1 5 cents. The extent to ^yhich this
opportunity was utilized is shown in Table 9.
TABLE 9. — FREE AND PAID MEALS SERVED BY HOT MEAL KITCHENS
ON SPECIFIED DATES IN 1 906
Free meals
served
PAID MEALS SERVED
Date
Number
Per cent of
free meals
June 28
July I
August I
September i . . . .
16,666
.14,087
15,202
7.484
617
423
191
82
3.7
3.0
1-3
I.I
The last paid meal was served on September 19, 1906. The
last kitchen closed was that at Speedway Camp, where the final
meal was served October 10, 1906.
Frequent complaints were made that the kitchens supplied
food which lacked in quality and variety, was poorly cooked,
and served on fly-infested tables in unsanitary rooms. In some
instances the complaints were justified, but the army inspections
were thorough, and the contractors on the whole lived up to the
contracts. Some of the complaints were made not by those who
were using the kitchens but by those who were critical of the
kitchen system itself.
It is not possible to estimate the total value of the food
distributed. For food and its distribution the Relief and Red
Cross Funds expended $1,226,567.16. The army report gives
$259,811.20 as expended for subsistence stores, but this is not a
complete statement of the disbursements made by it from the
appropriation from Congress. These sums do not include an
estimate of the value of donations in kind that were used as such
and not sold. General Greely in his report stated that in the food
donations distributed by the army there were about 2,000,000
complete rations, which had to be increased by substitutions
and by purchase to supply the 3,873,745 rations distributed by
52
HOT MEAL KITCHENS
the army during May and June. Two commodities that had been
donated in excess of need were flour and potatoes.
TABLE 10. — EXPENDITURES OF SAN FRANCISCO RELIEF AND RED
CROSS FUNDS FOR PURCHASE AND DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD,
TO MAY 29, 1909
Purchases of food
Groceries $560,205.77
Meat 182,798.74
Bread 84,436.10
Milk, fresh 33,032.64
Fruits and Vegetables 25,029.01
Flour 21,84814
Miscellaneous 8,029.43
Total $9i5»379-83
Distribution of food
Stoves, hardware, kitchen utensils, dishes, fuel, etc. $30,540.72
Labor of all kinds 39,96872
Drayage, etc '. . . . 14,787.10
Total 85,296.54
Hot Meal Kitchens 204,446.54
Bureau of Special Relief 21,444.25
Grand total $1,226,567.16
TABLE II. — PERSONS TO WHOM RATIONS WERE ISSUED IN MAY
AND JUNE, 1906
Date
Number of per-
sons
Date
Number of per-
sons
1906
May I . . .
313.117
1906
May 24 .
62,239
2 .
3 .
3i3>ii7
279,63 1
26 .
29 .
59>432
54,883
4 .
230,207
3> .
44,289
5 ■
6 .
264,570
262,027
June 2 .
5 .
42,374
39,084
7 .
8 .
233,989
223,915
7 . .
9 .
35,237
34,268
9
222,313
12 .
29,62 1
10
1 1
12
204,637
186,960
147,232
14 .
16 .
19 .
22,753
22,295
16,608
13
139405
21 .
16,246
14
16
18
126,970
97,886
91,812
23 .
26 .
28 .
15,451
15,340
15,339
22 . . .
73.163
30 .
15,353
53
EMERGENCY METHODS
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54
DISTRIBUTION OF CLOTHING
Among the persons who received rations, as indicated in the
table and chart, are included both those to whom raw rations were
issued and those who were served with free meals at the hot meal
kitchens.
3. DISTRIBUTION OF CLOTHING
Of secondary urgency was the demand for clothing. The
requests for clothing were fewer than those for food, though
many refugees fled from the burned areas with no clothing except
nightgowns or calico slips, a poor protection from the cold nights
and chilly April mornings and evenings.
The records of distribution are incomplete. General Greely
estimated the number of persons who received clothing at 200,000.
Much of the clothing donated bore the wellknown mark of the
charity gift in kind. The second hand clothing in many cases
was, to repeat General Greely's comment, "more or less of a
burden on the Red Cross.'' Some was useless; some required
to be cleaned and disinfected. The new clothing was, in the words
of Captain Bradley, who had charge of its distribution, ''of old and
dead stock of mediocre and poor quality." Part of the shoes
and articles of clothing supplied from the army stores and charged
against the appropriation from Congress were of obsolete pattern.
The same criticism was made of some of the household goods do-
nated. A large number of the cots, for instance, were worthless or
of poor quality. There was the further handicap to the distribu-
tor, of not knowing what donations were to be expected or when
they were to be received. This uncertainty meant serious delays
in supplying the need and severe criticism of the administrators,
but the latter did not feel themselves justified in making purchases
of clothing in large quantities when clothing similar to that or-
dered might, later, be received as a gift.
The memory is vivid to some of those who worked in the
refugee camps during the midsummer of 1906, of the children in
striped sweaters and gay Tam-o'-Shanters. The caps were not
suitable for summer wear, but they had been sent in large quantity
with the sweaters to be distributed. The mental picture of Golden
Gate Park with its scattered barracks and tents pitched close to
ornamental lakes and neglected flower beds is accentuated by
the note of high color given by the sweaters and caps.
55
EMERGENCY METHODS
Distribution of clothing, like the distribution of food, was
quickly undertaken by independent groups of volunteers, who
collected and gave out what could be got in the city itself. While
the fire was spreading the army from its stores in the Presidio
gave blankets and quantities of shoes, shirts, ponchos, and other
clothing for men. As the donations from abroad began to arrive
in large quantities they were quickly handed out without careful
discrimination in sorting or adapting to individual needs.
On May 4 the army, in consultation with Dr. Devine, took
charge of the organization of the clothing and household distribu-
tion. The Crocker School on Page Street was taken for use as
a warehouse. A warehouse for second hand clothing exclusively
was established ten days later in the Everett Grammar School,
on Sanchez Street. Neither was adapted for use as a department
store, but nine departments were organized, each in charge of an
experienced clerk:
1. Men^s clothing and hats.
2. Men's furnishings and underwear.
3. Women's furnishings and underwear.
4. Boots and shoes.
5. Children's clothing and hats.
6. Children's underwear.
7. Bedding and furniture.
8. Household goods.
9. Tentage.
From the departments went during May a daily average of
twenty truckloads; during June, eighteen. Among the household
goods that had to be handled were towels, sheets, pillows, pillow
cases, blankets, comforters, mattresses, stoves, cooking utensils,
cutlery, dishes, brooms, wash tubs, washboards, boilers, irons,
clotheslines, axes, chairs, tables, and sewing machines.
The method of distribution was similar to that for food.
Each civilian chairman made requisition for the articles that were
found by the superintendents of the stations to be needed within
his section, and each requisition was filled so far as the warehouse
stock would admit. The articles were sent to the separate stations
for distribution. The army had charge of reception and distribu-
tion of goods; the Red Cross, of determining who should be entitled
to aid. The first registration was used as a basis for determining
56
■■»
1 * »
i >
»» 9
« > > •
>">
C
O
to
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c
fc>0
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U
D
<
z
c
u
ai i
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if)
O
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I
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DISTRIBUTION OF CLOTHING
need, but there was no uniform system of record and various
forms are found to have been in use, — an instance of the necessity
for a general, accepted form of registration and record.
It was planned to complete by the middle of July the general
distribution of clothing and household goods by determining
whether each refugee at that time had a decent supply which would
prevent present suffering. After that date the Rehabilitation
Committee was to consider further need of clothing and household
goods in relation to general need of rehabilitation. The distribu-
tion did end practically on August i , when those who had requisi-
tions for articles that had not been furnished were given by the
Rehabilitation Committee the cash value of the articles called
for on their requisitions as far as approved by the civilian chairmen
of their sections.
The later development of the methods of distributing cloth-
ing shows increased efficiency as greater experience was gained.
After August 15 the Bureau of Special Relief* had charge
of filling orders for clothing for those living outside the camps
whose needs were urgent but not great ; the more important cases
of need of clothing and household goods were cared for by the
Rehabilitation Committee. From August 6 the residents of the
camps were supplied with all necessary clothing through the
Department of Camps and Warehouses, an arrangement which
continued until the middle of October, after which issues of clothing
were made by requisition through the department headquarters
on the supply of clothing kept in Golden Gate Park. From
December, 1 906, the Department of Camps and Warehouses sent
individual requisitions for clothing to the Bureau of Special Re-
lief. Possibly these were such as it could not itself fill.
All issues of clothing were stopped on May 16, 1907, and the
supply on hand was turned over to the Rehabilitation Committee,
which distributed it among a number of institutions. 1 1 is probable,
however, that for a long time only a very small quantity of clothing
had been issued to meet the needs of the aged, infirm, and sick at
Ingleside.f It is to be noted further that as early as August, 1906,
* See Bureau of Special Relief, Part II, p. 145 ff.
t See Part VI, The Residuum of Relief, p. 319 ff.
57
EMERGENCY METHODS
issues were limited, and were made only to destitute persons whose
circumstances could easily be investigated.
4. FURNISHING TRANSPORTATION
The rapid exodus of refugees from the city during the first
week after the disaster meant a desirable lessening of the task
of providing food, clothing, and shelter. The transportation work,
which divides itself into four administrative periods, began the
first day of the fire, when refugees were given free passage across
the bay, down the peninsula, and to points far inland. No special
arrangement was made. The transportation companies merely
threw open their gates and let the people crowd into the boats
and trains. The committee on transportation of refugees, a sub-
committee of the Citizens' Committee, had comparatively little
work to do. It told the public that the railroads were ready to
carry the people and it made inquiry as to the ability and willing-
ness of other communities to care for refugees. From many com-
munities, some distant, came quick, generous offers to care for
definite numbers of people.
When the first period, the period of indiscriminate free
transportation, ended on April 26, the Southern Pacific Railroad,
the only railroad running out of the city and the one that in normal
times carried the greater part of the suburban traffic by ferry
and train to towns across the bay, had transported, according
to an official report, the following number of free passengers:
TABLE 12. — PERSONS CARRIED FROM SAN FRANCISCO AS FREE
PASSENGERS BY THE SOUTHERN PACIFIC RAILROAD,
FROM APRIL 18 TO APRIL 26, I906
Destination
Persons
carried
Suburban points around the bay
Other points in California
Other states
226,000
67,000
7,684
Total
300,684
The value of this service, according to the official report,
was $456,000. The report states that on April 19 the refugees,
58
FURNISHING TRANSPORTATION
most of whom went to Oakland and adjoining communities, left
San Francisco at the average rate of 70 per minute. There is no
report from any other transportation company. The 226,000
passengers carried to points around the bay included some thou-
sands of persons that crossed more than once, many to go back and
forth daily on public or private business, others, a considerable
number, to view the fire and ruins.
On April 25, a committee on transportation was organized
informally by the officials of the various railroads and the men in
charge of relief work, in order to prevent an abuse of free
transportation. The new committee, which was recognized as
authoritative by the Citizens' Committee, had for chairman
William Sproule of the Southern Pacific Railroad, for secretary
and executive, Oscar K. Cushing. On April 26, a transportation
bureau was opened in a small office on Fillmore Street near Frank-
lin Hall. The secretary was given power to issue orders for passes
and part-rate tickets, which because of his experience in railroad
business and in social work he could be relied upon to do with
discretion. Each applicant in the long file which day by day
stretched down Fillmore Street and around the corner to Sutter,
a perplexed, restless file of men, women, and children, eager to
be out of the city, was interviewed personally by him to deter-
mine whether the applicant were able to pay any part of his
fare, whether the best way to restore him to self-support was to
grant him transportation, and whether he would be a charge upon
the community to which he wished to go. When letters of recom-
mendation or personal interviews failed to give the information
desired, a quick investigation was made. If the applicant were
able he paid something toward his ticket but never more than at
the rate of half fare.
On May 10 the railroads stopped the issue of free and re-
duced rate tickets as a relief measure. This marked the end of
the second short period of regulated free transportation work. A
week later, on May 18, the transportation work was merged with
that of the Bureau of Special Relief and Rehabilitation,* and when
Mr. Cushing became executive head of the joint work no material
change was made in the method of caring for transportation cases.
* See Part I, p. 14.
59
EMERGENCY METHODS
During the third period, beginning May lo, the period of
united effort, the committee guaranteed to pay in certain cases
reduced railroad rates, at first a half-fare rate, later a one-cent-
a-mile rate. The railroads in their discretion gave in other cases
free passage provided the committee made a brief statement of
the circumstances of the applicant with a recommendation for free
passage.
When the permanent Rehabilitation Committee was or-
ganized, July 2, 1906, the transportation bureau was again merged,
which marked the beginning of the fourth period of its work, the
period of completed organization. During the fourth and last
period, which ended June 2, 1908, when the last transportation
grant was paid, the transportation methods held unchanged with
but occasional variation of rates and with a rapidly decreasing
number of cases to be considered.
The relative importance of the transportation work to the
other rehabilitation work, on the basis of the number of individuals
concerned, steadily decreased from one-half in the first two weeks
to about one-eighth in the middle of July
Many a case was brought to the attention of the Committee
by a distant relative or friend. For instance, a man wrote from
a little town in Illinois as follows:
((
Dear Kind Friend, — I have an aunt by the name of
. You will do me a favor if you will send Mrs. to
Chicago, 111. I would send the money to pay fare but as I have not got
it to spare I cannot do it. I hope you will be kind-hearted enough to
send her to Chicago. Also arrange to get her meals on the train for her.
You can call on her, Mayor Schmitz, at and have a talk with
her. Please get my Aunt Clara to come back if you can do so.
If there is anything I can do for your City please let me know and I will
try and help you folks at once. There are tears in My eyes as I think
of the beautiful City you once had that is now in ashes. Reply at once.''
''Aunt Clara'' could not be found.
An inquiry addressed to a man in whose behalf the Com-
mittee had been asked for help by a Chicago clergyman brought
this terse and satisfactory reply:
''Dear Sir, — We are no longer in need of relief and we do not
desire transportation to Chicago. I have so informed Rev. "
60
FURNISHING TRANSPORTATION
Vague plans, or plans that did not commend themselves, led
to refusal. There were, for instance, a man who thought he
would like to try his fortune in Nome; a Syrian who had an idea
he might get on better in Portland, Oregon, though he had no
relatives there and no prospect of work; a Scotch Australian
with a large family, known to the Associated Charities for years,
who looked hopefully to Australia, though he had left it because
he was a failure there; two girls, domestic servants, who wanted
to go back to Ireland because they "were afraid of the shakes";
an old man whose only reason for returning to Europe was his
desire to see his son ordained a priest; a widow, *' saleslady'' by
occupation, who asked to be sent to Los Angeles on the strength
of a letter from a friend, apparently a traveling man living in a
hotel, whose mildly expressed concern for her welfare she took as
a promise to provide a home. A stonemason wanted to leave his
family without resources and try his fortune in Canada. A man
whose family had been sent to Massachusetts in the early days to
leave him free to get a start got tired of trying and wanted to
join them. Another man merely wanted to go away on a visit,
leaving his family behind. After the middle of June, requests
that wife and children be sent away for a visit while the man
stayed behind at work, were refused, though in the abnormal
conditions of the earlier days they were frequently allowed. In
a considerable number of cases, as of carpenters, shoemakers,
domestic servants, and laundresses, transportation was refused
because it was known that nowhere else in the country was the
opportunity so good for work and good pay in those occupations.
In looking over the records one finds many reasons given
for leaving San Francisco. Jewelers, inventors, masseurs, hair
dressers, producers of "art work,'' said they could find little
demand for their services in the first few weeks after the fire.
Acrobats, mental science lecturers, teachers of elocution, music,
Hebrew, religion, and higher mathematics, could find no one to
demand their teaching. Saloonkeepers and barmen had lost
their shops through the closing of the saloons, and when they
opened July 5, conditions would be hard because a higher license
was to be asked. It seems like a jest of fate that at a time when
thousands of people were living in tents a tent-sewer could find
61
EMERGENCY METHODS
no occupation. It also seems curious that physicians and nurses
should have wished to leave the city, but it is a fact that the de-
mand for their services was decreased rather than increased by the
disaster. Physicians suffered perhaps as much as any other class
of persons, for they lost not only their offices, libraries, and in-
struments, but also a large proportion of their patients, — the
profitable, well-to-do ones left town, and the poorer ones were
stimulated by the out-of-door life, plain food, or by necessity,
into unusual good health.* Bakers, grocers, and lodging-house
keepers asked for transportation because, though there was a
demand for their services, they had no capital with which to make
a new start. Tailors, dressmakers, milliners, printers, and a
number of others could not, or would not, wait for the demand
which came for them a few weeks later. In the middle of May, for
example, it was thought that ladies' tailors could not expect to
make a living for six months; early in June employers could not
begin to get the number they wanted. In but few cases could
lack of occupation be accepted as the sole justification for leav-
ing the city. Carpenters and laborers who could not get work
in San Francisco in June could hardly be expected to get it any-
where.
Sickness was a reason for transporting some of the refugees.
A man who had been hurt in the earthquake was sent to relatives
as soon as he was able to leave the hospital. Another man, whose
little store had been wrecked by the earthquake, he himself in-
jured, and his wife and one child killed, was sent to his sister in
Chicago, his other children having been provided for by a charita-
ble organization. A woman suffering from cancer was taken to
her sister in Brooklyn by a nurse who was also being assisted to
reach her destination. It was not uncommon in the earlier days
to find a woman so nervous that her physical condition was a
menace to the prospects of her family. One such woman would
not allow her husband to do any regular work; another was so
irritable that desertion seemed imminent. In such a case as the
last the only hope of saving the family seerried, paradoxically, to
* In Part IV the chapters which discuss condition and status of families in
camp cottages, and of those who took advantage of the bonus and loan plans, show
that the handicap of ill health was heavy after the first few months.
62
FURNISHING TRANSPORTATION
lie in temporary separation. More than one woman who begged
to be sent away for a visit was told, '*We are doing this, you
understand, because we are sorry for your husband and want to
give him a chance to get on his feet here; but please encourage
him by writing every week." The policy, in spite of these in-
stances, was definitely laid down that families should be kept
together.
There were numerous examples of that re-distributing of re-
sponsibility for dependents which take^. place when losses come to
families individually. An aunt or grandmother in Nevada or
Missouri or New York would offer to take care of a little boy or a
young girl, in order to relieve the family in San Francisco. An
epileptic woman whose daughters had lost their work on account
of the fire was given a home by a cousin in Massachusetts. This
cousin, with unnecessary caution, wrote to the woman: "I will
not let him (Dr. Devine) know you have any daughters — only
that you are without a home and in poor health.'' A woman had
been visiting her married daughter in San Francisco, and the
daughter, after the fire, could neither entertain her longer nor
pay her fare home. Still another instance was that of a Rouman-
ian, seventy-seven years old. He had had a home with his grand-
daughters for the previous two years, but they were burned out
and his only refuge was the old home in Roumania. Unfavorable
surroundings as a reason for granting transportation may be
illustrated by the case of a young girl who had been living in a
basement with twenty refugees, men and women. She was sent
to her father in Ohio.
The willingness of relatives and friends to receive refugees
determined the transporting of a large number of persons. The
letters that found their way to the files of the Rehabilitation Com-
mittee as evidence that the would-be travelers would not be un-
provided for at the end of their journeys form a unique body of
testimony. They give a glimpse of those obscure wells of charity
in which we all believe, on account of frequent individual in-
stances, but into whose depths we are seldom allowed to look.
The open-hearted offers of hospitality that went out from humble
homes all over the country were, in fact, a contribution to the
relief fund, though they found no place in the list of donations,
63
EMERGENCY METHODS
the quality of their mercy being too subtle. They may be given
recognition by a few quotations from many letters:
From Delancey Street, New York, to a Jewish tailor with a
wife and six children:
My dear brother, — I have received your letter, also dispatch, and
in spite of all my efforts I send you only ten dollars. I cannot send you
more for the present. I advise you to come over as soon as you can with
your family, on my responsibility, as there are plenty of work for you.
Don't spend the time with nothing but come as soon as you possible can.
From a woman in Council Bluffs, to her sister:
You must and had better come here. J can work at his
trade here and you can stop with us until you can do better.
From a little California town:
My dear cousin, — I am awfully sorry to hear you and all the
family lost everything. But let you and Jennie ^nd all the family come
right up and stop with us. You will want for nothing as we have plenty
for all and as many more. Hoping you will come right away, .
From a Russian woman in Chicago:
Beloved sister, — You shall not think about anything but come to
Chicago . You shall not worry about anything. Everything
will be provided for you when you arrive here. You shall also get work.
A mother in Michigan wrote to her daughters, who had been
in domestic service:
Girls, for my part I wouldn't have any desire of living side of the
Pacific ocean any longer and you know we would feel better to have you
back here with us.
Another Michigan letter, from the brother of a refugee:
I want you to come with all your family and share our home until
you get all rested up and see what is best to be done. Old frozen Michigan
ain't the worst place after all.
A woman in Spokane who offered a home to a friend and her
little girl wrote, with a naive appreciation of her own gener-
64
FURNISHING TRANSPORTATION
osity and of the happy combination of disposition and circum-
stances to which she was able to refer:
I write to extend my sympathy to you and you know I have a big
heart and a large house and would be only too glad to have you come and
stay with me as long as you want to and it would not cost you one cent.
A man in Nevada who had secured work for a former busi-
ness associate, wrote to him :
Through the kindness of friends (and I may say myself), we have
furnished you and wife with a home furnished complete, so if you can get
means to come up you will be O. K., as your rent is paid for a couple of
months.
There could be no doubt that the boy whose mother in Los
Angeles had found work for him, and who wrote him as follows,
would be looked after:
A Mrs. T to whom I appealed for you gave me as a loan on
the sly five dollars for your fare down, which must be returned as soon as
possible so please do not use it unless you fail to get a pass.
Some friends in southern California offered a home to three
sisters, working girls:
If you can get passes, which no doubt you can by applying to
Mayor Schmitz, as I have written to him, asking for you, come down and
stay with us for as long as you wish. We have a house in our yard which
we can fix up for you without any inconvenience to us. You can live
there as long as we stay here.
The great majority of these people who were assisted to
leave the city seem to have been those that could easily be spared
from San Francisco during its period of reconstruction. They
were, on the whole, lacking in physical vigor or in mental qualities
of courage and initiative, or in attachment to their city. They
did, however, give the impression that, under less exacting cir-
cumstances, they would have been able to get along creditably. It
seemed fair to expect that in nearly all the cases the substitution
of a more favorable environment would have results so satis-
5 65
EMERGENCY METHODS
factory as to justify transportation as a rehabilitation measure,
while the burden of dependence, whatever it might be, would be
so distributed as not to bear heavily in any one place. The
policy of those responsible for decisions was not to send to other
cities persons that were likely to become dependent on charity.
The transportation agreement of the charity organization societies
of the largest cities was respected. The prompt answers to tele-
graphic inquiries given by all the eastern cities was a very impor-
tant help, it was reassuring to find that the plan that was satis-
factory in ordinary times proved indispensable in the emergency.
For the second period of the work of transportation, which
seems to represent about the average, Table 13 is given.
TABLE 13. — DESTINATION OF PERSONS SENT FROM SAN FRAN-
CISCO BY THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE, FROM APRIL
26 TO MAY 10, 1906, INCLUSIVE^
PERSONS
SENT TO DESTINATION
SPECIFIED
Destination
Men
Women
Children
Total
California
122
541
379
1,042
Oregon .
.
28
103
40
171
Washington .
.^
20
85
57
162
Colorado
II
46
35
92
Nevada .
2
40
1 1
53
Utah
9
26
1 1
46
Montana
5
13
13
31
Arizona .
4
8
, ,
12
Idaho
2
3
3
8
Wyoming
. •
3
3
New Mexico
, ,
I
, ,
I
East (including Europe)
188
553
322
1,063
Total ....
391
1,422
871
2,684
a Compare date with date given in heading of Table 12. "April 26" appears
in official reports as included in each of the first two periods, and probably was
actually so included.
These figures are based, not on a study of individual cases,
but on lists and registers kept by the various committees in charge
of transportation. Although they probably are not absolutely
66
FURNISHING TRANSPORTATION
correct, they are sufficiently exact for the present purpose. The
term Pacific States in the following table includes the tier of
states from Montana to New Mexico; all east of them is called
East. Alaska and British Columbia destinations are included in
Pacific States, and eastern Canadian and European points are
included in East. The number of persons sent to such points was
very small.
The following table shows the number carried for all periods,
exclusive of those carried to suburban points.
TABLE 14. — PERSONS SENT FROM SAN FRANCISCO, BY PERIOD AND
BY GENERAL DESTINATION, APRIL 26, I906, TO JUNE, 1908^
Total
PERSONS
SENT TO
Average
number
1
Period
number
of per-
sons sent
Cali-
Other
East (in-
Other
of per-
fornia
Pacific
cluding
foreign
sons sent
pomts
States
Europe)
points
per day
1906
2d Apr. 26-May 10 .
2,684
1,042
579
1,063
179.0
3d May i i-Jun. 30 .
1,015
212
193
609
I
20.0
4th July
365
97
70
193
5
1 1.8
August
350
221
23
106
. .
11.3
September .
90
32
3
55
, .
3.0
October
128
13
45
57
13b
41
November .
77
10
2
13
52b
2.6
December .
37
1 1
3
17
6
1.2
1907
)i January
37
7
6
19
5
1.2
February
31
6
7
18
i.o
, March .
21
3
3
10
5
c
!' April .
22
9
3
10
c
May
8
I
4
3
c
June .
3
• .
I
2
c
July . . .
4
• .
, ,
4
c
December .
2
. .
, .
2
c
1908
June
2
• •
• •
2
c
Total ....
4,876
1,664
942
2,183
87
^ Exact information relative to the number of persons sent from San Francisco
during the first period, from April 18 to April 26, and their destination, is not
available. The figures showing the number of and destination of persons given:
free transportation by the Southern Pacific Railroad are given in Table 12, p. 58.
b Sent to Porto Rico in October, 9; in November, 50,
^ Fewer than i per day.
67
EMERGENCY METHODS
TABLE 15. — TERMS OF TRANSPORTATION OF PERSONS SENT FROM
SAN FRANCISCO IN SECOND AND THIRD PERIODS
PERSONS TRANSPORTED
Terms of transportation
April 26 to May
10, inclusive
May 1 1 to June
30, inclusive
Number
Per cent
Number
Per cent
Carried free by railroads ....
Low rate paid by Applicant
Committee
Applicant and Committee jointly .
2,096
588
78
22
136
188
597
94
13
19
59
9
Total
2,684
100
1.015
100
TABLE 16. — DESTINATION OF PERSONS SENT FROM SAN FRANCISCO
IN SECOND AND THIRD PERIODS
Destination
California points .
Other Pacific Coast states
East ....
Various foreign points.
Total
PERSONS SENT TO DESTINATIONS
SPECIFIED
April 26 to May
10, inclusive
Number
1,042
579
1,063
2,684
Per cent
38.8
21.6
39.6
100
May 1 1 to June
30, inclusive
Number
212
193
609
1,015
Per cent
20.9
19.0
60.0
.1
100
68
PROVIDING SHELTER
TABLE 17. — VALUE AT REDUCED RATES OF TRANSPORTATION FUR-
NISHED THROUGH THE COMMITTEE
VALUE OF TRANSPORTATION PURNISHED
Terms of transportation
May 1 1 to
June 30, 1906
July I, 1906, to
June 2, 1908
Total
Paid by applicant .
Paid by Committee .
Estimate of contribution by
railroads ....
$4,987.27
10,878.32
42,369.40
»585.47
30,921.70
5,01570
^5,572.74
41,800.02
47,385.10
Total
$58,234.99
$36,522.87
$94,757.86
5. PROVIDING SHELTER
In April in San Francisco, the weather being temperate and
dry, shelter for the homeless may properly be considered an easy
third in order of importance in the supplying of relief. The first
night after the earthquake the people who had been driven from
their homes by fire or by fear of another shock, sought rest in the
public squares and parks, in vacant lots and in military reserva-
tions. Bedding was the necessity carried from their homes by
many refugees who expected to return to them after the danger
was past. Each family took possession of the first spot available.
The more fortunate separated themselves from other families by
means of trunks or boxes, or by a sheet or blanket thrown over a
pole that rested on two stakes driven into the ground. As the
hours passed a few real tents were secured, and shacks were made
out of loose boards, tin cans, and sheet iron. Soon, tents from
the army stores and from private sources were provided in increas-
ing numbers and were set up with varying degrees of order.
Two hundred thousand persons came out from the burned
district homeless, of whom possibly 75,000 left the city. These latter
are included in the number of refugees that sought transportation,
as shown in the preceding section. Shelter was found in some
parts of the city for a large number through the hospitality of
friends or strangers, through payment for lodging in cash or credit,
or through the use of unoccupied houses. Two thousand persons
found shelter in vacant houses through the efi'orts of the police.
The capacity to house the needy was swelled by the use of base-
69
EMERGENCY METHODS
ments, attics, and barns. The number of the homeless was in-
creased to some extent by the general rise in rentals, which was
great in certain parts of the city and which forced a small number
of people into the ranks of applicants for shelter. During the
first two weeks perhaps a thousand persons had no shelter but what
they could find in the burned district amid the ruins or on wharves.
Tents were provided in the first days by voluntary agen-
cies, by the sub-committee on housing the homeless, by the army,
and by the American National Red Cross. The first named com-
mittee, which was one of those hastily appointed by the Citizens'
Committee immediately after the disaster, also built barracks.
It set to work with great energy, but with complete independence
of any other committee, especially of the Finance Committee and
of the committees on relief of the hungry and on transportation,
whose work it therefore overlapped. It appointed another sub-com-
mittee, on roofing the homeless, which canvassed the city for vacant
houses and rooms and then induced but few persons to make use
of its finds. 1 1 formulated plans for the construction of two perma-
nent camps and made recommendations to the army to place all the
homeless in Golden Gate Park, to which park it had as early as
April 20, assisted by an army officer, hauled lumber for the building
of barracks, for the flooring of tents, and for latrines.
This committee was discharged from duty, on request of
its chairman, two weeks after its appointment, but its members
continued to incur unauthorized expense for at least four weeks
longer. The committee made such a fine showing for speed that
its work got ready recognition, speed in those first days being at
a premium; but its lack of deliberation led to the embarrassment
of the relief authorities. The barracks could not be connected
with street sewers because they were situated on low ground,
so later there was difficulty in disposing of waste and surface
water. One of the camps. Camp 6, could not be given fire
protection, and both camps had to have heavy additions made
to the initial expenditures to secure greater privacy and protec-
tion against drafts. In them the refugees were brought into an
association so close as to be either demoralizing or humiliating.
Both camps would probably soon have been closed if the
authorities had felt justified in abandoning them after the large^
70
An administration headiqli'arters
• :>
o
5 5 »'
O
•> »
■' ■>
> > >
» »
Camp No. 6, The Speedway, showing barracks
Camps in Golden Gate Park
f* <» •
t *
.•i.
PROVIDING SHELTER
expenditure made. The initial mistake was to erect barracks
during the emergency period. Tents, which the army and the
American National Red Cross stood ready to provide, were much
more practical. They. could be moved at small expense from
place to place, and until the rainy season set in they furnished
sufficient shelter. Tents, not barracks, were the need of the
emergency period.
The two barracks built in Golden Gate Park by the com-
mittee on housing the homeless were No. i , known later as Camp 5,
near the Children's Playground, and No. 2, known later as Camp 6,
or the Speedway Camp. Camp 5 consisted of 18 buildings with 16
two-room apartments in each, separated by a partition only 8 feet
high. The rooms were 10 feet square — a front room with a window
and a door and a rear room with no window or outside door.
Camp 6 was of the same type of construction and consisted of 10
barracks and separate buildings for hospital, laundry, and other
general purposes. The barracks of Camp 5 were occupied from
the first of May to the middle of December; those of Camp 6
from June i to the latter part of August of the following year.
As late as the end of May General Greely reported that he
could not get sufficient data on which to base housing recom-
mendations. The first registration had shown that a little over
a fourth of the applicants to the food stations were living at the
same address when they were registered as on April 17, the day
before the earthquake. In a few cases these people were no doubt
housed in tents or shacks on the site of their burned homes. But
most of them had not lost their homes or personal effects, though
they had been affected by the disaster in other ways. They had
lost their work, or had suffered some injury in health from the
shock, or, merely demoralized by the general confusion and the
abundance of free provisions, had assumed a mental attitude of
dependence not really justified. Most of this last class, to be
sure, did not survive the registration, but there were no doubt
some who were not weeded out until after the canvass had been
made. Sixteen per cent more are known to have been living in
houses at the time of the registration, but as their addresses on
April 17 were not given, it is impossible to know whether or not
they had been driven out of their homes by the disaster.
71
EMERGENCY METHODS
TABLE l8. — HOUSING OF REGISTERED FAMILIES, BY CIVIL SECTIONS,
MAY, 1906. NUMBERS
NUMBER OF FAMILIES HOUSED AS SPECIFIED IN
Residence at time of
CIVIL SECTIONS
Total
registration
I
II
225
ill
IV
V
VI
VII
Same as on April 17 .
856
572
M05
197
424
i>955
5,334
Tent or shack .
741
79
1,407
272
1,082
467
317
4,365
A house different from
that of April 17
640
294
669
924
681
945
2,168
6,321
A house; uncertain
whether the same
as or different from
that of April 17
336
191
329
257
215
999
804
3,131
Total whose addresses
in May were given
2,573
789
2,977
2,558
2,175
2,835
5>244
19,151
Addresses in May not
given
17
24
813
120
19
45
41
21
287
Total registration
2,590
3,097
2,577
2,220
2,876
5,265
19,438
TABLE 19. — HOUSING OF REGISTERED FAMILIES, BY CIVIL SECTIONS.
PERCENTAGES, BASED ON THE TOTAL NUMBER OF FAMILIES
WHOSE ADDRESSES IN MAY, I906, WERE GIVEN
PER CENT OF
FAMILIES HOUSED AS '
SPECIFIED IN
Residence at time of
CIVIL SECTIONS
Total
registration
I
11
III
IV
V
VI
VII
Same as on April 17 .
33-3
28.5
19.2
43.2
9.1
15.0
37-3
27.9
Tent or shack .
28.8
lO.O
47-3
10.6
497
16.5
6.1
22.8
A house different from
that of April 17 .
24.9
37-3
22.5
36.1
313
33-3
413
33.0
A house; uncertain
whether the same
as or different from
that of April 17
13.0
24.2
I I.O
10. 1
9.9
35-2
153
16.3
Total whose addresses
in May were given
lOO.O
1 00.0
1 00.0
1 00.0
100. 0
1 00.0
1 00.0
lOO.O
Less than a fourth of the 19,438 registered* were living in
tents or shacks. These 4,365 famiHes or parties included some
* See Table 7, p. 45.
72
PROVIDING SHELTER
19,000 individuals. As the population of the "official camps''*
outside of Golden Gate Park (which was not included in the regis-
tration) was less than 8,500 at the time, and as it was wellknown
that some of the people in the permanent camps were already pro-
viding their own food, it is evident that in the early days of May
about one-half of the registered tent and shack dwellers were
in the unofficial, unsupervised camps and isolated makeshifts for
shelter which were one of the most difficult problems of the situa-
tion. The registration card did not ask what the character of the
dwelling was, and for this reason, as has already been said, the
proportion of persons in tents and shacks was no doubt under-
stated, since the description given by the enumerator of the
"permanent location" of the family may not always have sug-
gested, when it should, a tent or a shack to the tabulator.
In May about a third of all were living in houses which were
not their homes on April 17. These families, together with those
who were living in tents and shacks, made up 55.8 per cent of the
total. Considerably over half, therefore, of those who were
receiving rations in the middle of May had presumably been
burned out of their homes, or "shocked out," as one of them put
it. Many of those who had found house shelter were living under
very unfavorable conditions. Overcrowding does not show on
the registration card, and bad sanitary conditions can only be
guessed at. In 206 cases it was stated that the "house" was a
basement or rear building; occasionally it was a barn.
The seven civil sections* naturally present contrasts in the
matter of housing conditions. In Section VI 1 only 6 per cent of
the refugees were living in tents or shacks, while in Sections 1 1 1 and
V almost half of them were. Section VI 1 shows the highest
percentage of families in houses to which they had moved after
the fire, and Section IV is not far behind. The facts which come
out about Section IV at first seem curious. Although it included
about half of the burned area, it had the highest percentage of
families living in the same place as on April 17. The unburned
part of Section IV at the time of the fire probably was more thickly
populated than any equal area in the city, for in other sections
there were great areas either not built upon or occupied by fac-
* See Part I, p. 78 fif. f For section boundaries, see map opposite p. 3.
73
EMERGENCY METHODS
tories, etc. This was practically one solid residence section filled
mostly with flats and populated by persons employed chiefly in
adjacent parts of the burned district, who thus lost employment,
if not property. Although it contained several permanent camps,
only I0.6 per cent of those who were receiving rations were living
in tents or shacks. It is probable that 43.2 per cent who were
living ''at the same address" included a number of Italians on
Telegraph Mill who were already back on the same house lot,
though in shelters improvised from tarpaulins, boards, sheets of
tin, corrugated iron, and other possible, though unusual, building
materials. Most of the Italians and others who lived about Tele-
graph Hill had taken refuge, however, in Section III, in which
a part of the Italian quarter lay.
Section V shows the condition that would be expected in
both IV and V, — half the refugees in tents or shacks, only a small
percentage at their former addresses, and the rest crowded into
the housing accommodations nearest to their old homes. It would
have been interesting to tabulate the distance between the two
addresses, but this would have involved so much labor that it
could not be undertaken.
The nationality of the head of the family was given in 14,963
cases, over three-fourths of all. Over two-fifths of these were
native Americans; nearly one-half were Germans and Austrians,
Irish, Italians, English and Scotch, and Scandinavians, of numeri-
cal importance in the order indicated; and the rest represented
many difl^erent countries. The facts are shown in Table 20.
It is not possible to compare these figures closely with the
nationality of the population of San Francisco as given in the
United States Census of 1900, because the census figures are for
individuals, while these are for families, the nationality of the
family being inferred from the nationality of its head. In the
census figures the native born children of a German or Irish
father appear as born in the United States, while in the refugee
figures such a family group appears as a unit among the foreign
born. In this way it is evident that if the refugee figures could
have been made up on the same basis of individuals instead of
families, they would have shown a considerably higher proportion
than they do of native born, and a correspondingly lower propor-
74
Shelters of sheets and quilts
J 5
Tents and shacks
Early Shelters in Jefferson Square
o c
t <
• PROVIDING SHELTER
TABLE 20. — NATIONALITY OF POPULATION OF SAN FRANCISCO IN
1900, COMPARED WITH NATIONALITY OF HEADS OF FAMILIES
AMONG REFUGEES IN I906
Country of birth
United States
Germany and Austria
Ireland ....
England and Scotland
China -. . . .
Sweden, Norway, Denmark
Italy ....
Canada ....
France . .
Switzerland .
Japan . . . .
Russia ....
Mexico ....
Australia
Other countries
Total
POPULATION OF SAN
FRANCISCO, 1900 —
INDIVIDUALS OF EACH
SPECIFIED NATIVITY
Number
225,897
37»035
1 5*963
11,956
10,762
9>59i
7,508
5,199
4,870
2,085
1,852
1,511
1,459
1,096
5,998
342,782
Per cent
66.0
10.8
4-7
3-5
31
2.8
2.2
1-5
14
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.4
0.3
1.8
1 00.0
REFUGEES, I906
HEADS OF FAMILIES OF
EACH SPECIFIED
NATIVITY
Number
6,229
2,264
2,140
972
20
709
1,208
167
400
104
31
125
75
24
495
Per cent
417
15. 1
14.3
6.5
0.1
4-7
8.1
I.I
2-7
0.7
0.2
0.8
0.5
0.2
3-3
14,9633^ 100. o
^ Total number of families for whom the nationality of the head of the
family was given; in 4,475 cases this information was omitted.
tion of nearly all the foreign nationalities. Possibly the native
born children of foreigners would raise the percentage of native
born among the refugees to an even higher percentage than they
had in the total population of the city. A few comparisons,
however, it is safe to make. The Irish and Italians are repre-
sented much more strongly among the refugees than their pro-
portions in the population would require; while on the other
hand, a population of over 10,000 Chinese* was represented by
only 20 families drawing rations. In Table 20 the nationalities
are arranged in the order of their importance in the population of
the city in 1900. Only the first three groups maintained the same
relative position among the refugees.
* See Part I, p. 95.
75
EMERGENCY METHODS
TABLE 21. — NATIONALITY OF HEADS OF FAMILIES AMONG REFUGEES,
BY CIVIL SECTIONS, MAY, I906. NUMBERS
NUMBER OF HEADS OF
FAMILIES OF EACH SPECIFIED'
NATIONALITY IN CIVIL SECTIONS
Country of birth
Total
I
11
ill
IV
V
VI
VII
United States
1,015
354
790
1,106
736
177
2,051
6,229
Germany, Austria
33«
85
264
413
289
158
724
2.264
Ireland .
234
80
228
249
432
169
748
2,140
Italy
66
14
698
59
90
114
167
1,208
England and Scot-
land
169
48
103
133
125
61
333
972
Sweden, Norway,
and Denmark .
78
39
88
51
108
113
232
709
France .
95
1 1
79
46
27
31
III
400
Canada .
24
9
12
31
10
6
75
167
Russia
1 1
10
7
28
29
6
34
125
Switzerland
18
2
28
9
II
8
28
104
Me.xico .
24
• •
42
3
3
I
2
75
Japan .
6
. ,
II
II
, .
3
31
Australia
3
2
3
2
6
I
7
24
China
3
2
9
6
, ,
, .
20
Other countries .
57
15
142
105
46
56
74
495
Total .
2,134
671
2,504
2,252
1,912
901
4.589
14.963
Unknown
456
142
593
325
308
1.975
676
4.475'
Grand total
2,590
813
3»097
2,577
2,220
2,876
5.265
19.438
TABLE 22. — NATIONALITY OF HEADS OF FAMILIES AMONG REFUGEES,
BY CIVIL SECTIONS, MAY, I906. PERCENTAGES BASED ON THE
TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES IN WHICH INFORMATION AS TO NA-
TIVITY WAS AVAILABLE
PER CENT OF HEADS OF FAMILIES OF EACH
SPECIFIED NATIONALITY IN CIVIL
SECTIONS
Country of birth
Total
I
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII
United States
47-5
52.7
31.6
49.1
38.6
19.6
44.6
41.6
Germany, Austria
155
12.7
10.5
18.3
15. 1
175
15.8
15. 1
Ireland .
I I.O
1 1.9
9.1
I I.I
22.6
18.8
16.3
14.3
Italy
3.1
2.1
27.9
2.6
4-7
12.7
3.6
8.1
England, Scotland
7-9
7-2
41
5-9
6.5
6.8
7-3
6.5
Sweden, Norway,
and Denmark .
3-7
5.8
3-5
2.3
5.6
12.5
51
47
France .
4-5
1.6
3-2
2.0
1.4
3-4
2.4
2.7
Other countries .
6.8
6.0
lO.I
8.7
5-5
8.7
4-9
7.0
Total .
100. 0
100. 0
1 00.0
1 00.0
100. 0
1 00.0
1 00.0
1 00.0
76
PROVIDING SHELTER
The distribution of nationalities varies somewhat in the
different sections. Sections 1 1 1 and VI have a considerably smaller
proportion of native born than the others. Italians are con-
spicuously prominent ia Section III and Irish in Section V. Ger-
mans and Austrians are relatively most numerous in Sections IV
and VI, and least numerous in Section III; the proportion of
ItaHan families is less than 5 per cent in all sections except III
and VI; the proportion of Irish varies from 9 per cent in Section
III to 23 per cent in Section V. In Section VI the nationality
of over two-thirds of the families was not given, and in Section II,
as has been explained, the registration was not representative
of the total body of refugees within its boundaries.
The number of persons registered as having been provided
with shelter was but a part of the whole. The estimated number
of persons who were living in shacks and barracks on June i was
40,000* according to the census taken by General Greely; 42,000
according to the Southern Pacific Railroad; 39,000 according to a
computation made for this Relief Survey. f Of this last number,
34,000 were in tents, 5,000 in barracks and rough shacks. There
was a slight increase in the camp population in late May and in
June, due to the return of refugees from Oakland and other points,
but apart from this accretion the camp population was subject to
slight variation.
The first of June a San Franciscan wrote to Charities and the
CommonsX an account of conditions, which gives a picture of
what life in the camps meant to some of the refugees:
"The courage and energy of the population of San Francisco in the
face not only of disaster but of extreme terror and sudden homelessness
has not been exaggerated, but to a great many the full effect of the strain
is not even yet apparent. The discomforts of living, in spite of adequate
relief, are very great. Wind and fog — for the weather has been unusually
* It must be borne in mind that the figures taken from the first registra-
tion covered but a part of the camp and shack population.
t Computation made on the basis of the number of tents issued by the
army, the proportion of tents obtained from other sources and in use at the end of
June, and the average number of persons to the tent.
X Smith (Coolidge), Mary Roberts: Relief Work in its Social Bearings.
Charities and the Commons, XVI : 311 (June 2, 1906).
77
EMERGENCY METHODS
cold for a month, dust unspeakable, cooking out of doors in camps and
streets, lack of water for toilet Appliances, the incessant boiling of water
and milk for fear of fever, absence of light and means of transportation
for some time — in short, the total uprooting of all the ordinary habits
of life, is bearing more and more heavily on the women and children.
Schools are closed, thus turning thousands of children literally into the
ruined streets. It is now proposed to have a vacation school in Golden
Gate Park for the children in camps there, but this is only a very small
part of the whole number.
*' And for those who stay by the city much of this discomfort will
go on for several months to come. That under such circumstances men
and women become apathetic and lose pride and self-respect when they
can no longer endure the strain of petty hardships, is not surprising.
Archbishop Riordan, on his way to the scene of the disaster, is said to
have predicted, as the worst effect of it, the deterioration of health and
character which would be its inevitable result upon those who are not of
the exceptional stuff of which heroes and pioneers are made/*
The Official Camps
The army had control of some camps from the beginning
and gradually assumed charge of others until 2 1 * camps were under
military discipline. These camps became known by the rather
misleading title of ''permanent camps.'' The first to be brought
under army control were four situated in the Presidio, three in
Golden Gate Park, one in Harbor View, and one in Lobos Square.
During May the Franklin Square camp, those at Fort
Mason, and at 19th and Minnesota Streets were taken over by
the army. Early in June the camps in Jefferson Square, Lafayette
Square, Mission Park, Duboce Park, Hamilton and Washington
Squares were added, and in July, Alamo Square, Precita Park, and
Columbia Park. Each camp was in charge of a camp commander,
who according to the size of the camp, had on his staff clerks, fore-
men, laborers, and a nurse for the hospital department.! One or
two of the larger camps had a camp carpenter. Plumbing and
carpentry for the smaller camps were done by mechanics from
headquarters.
* For complete list of official camps, dates of opening and closing, and maxi
mum population, see Appendix 1, p. 404.
t See Part I, pp. 90-91.
78
Tent camp, opened May 9,'i/^o0
^^
^
^^^ ,,-j
^^^^^H
H^^^^
PPpH
^R
2^
1w 'T^ *">
i^H^^^^^^^^B'
PRHH^^^^Pr
^^^Km
-****■
^^^^Mbifl
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Hhtea^'' '^'^^^1
fc^
IHj^^^l
I^^^^HHi
^^^^^^B^^^^^^^l^
^^^^^^^^1
Cottages
Camp No. 9, Lobos Square
C f.
* t
THE OFFICIAL CAMPS
During July and August the tents in the permanent camps
^ere floored. Buildings were put up in each camp containing
latrines and wash and bath-houses with hot and cold running
Abater.
The unofficial camps, whose moral and sanitary condition
A^as very unsatisfactory, harbored a large number of refugees.
\s late as September i, 1906, their estimated population was from
10,000 to 15,000. The Finance Committee had tried to have
the campers move into the official camps, but had failed because
the police department, which was the only authority that could
3Ject, was unwilling to remove any large number of persons. The
police, of course, reflected the attitude of the general public,
A^hich seems to have classed as official, though it was not recog-
nized as such by the Finance Committee, a large independent
:amp, which was a private business venture, renting land to ref-
igees on which they might erect their own tents. General
freely, as has been described,* had tried to induce removal to the
Dfficial camps. The importance of having all camp life under
military discipline can be readily appreciated when one considers
[low difficult under any auspices it would be to give sanitary and
moral protection to a large body of persons living under abnormal
conditions.
The three essentials for camp tenants laid down as rules by
General Greely were decency, order, and cleanliness. The camp
commanders tried to get rid of the disorderly element as far as
they could without causing hardship to others. When a person
was ejected from one camp all other camps were notified and he
was not allowed to enter any of them.
The following statement of the number of ejectments from
May, 1906, to January, 1908, shows that there was constant atten-
tion to this problem. The dashes which appear in the columns rep-
resenting ejectments, opposite June, 1906, and February and March,
1907, indicate that no ejectments were reported for these months,
though it is probable that ejectments which were not reported
occurred in the months mentioned and in the months between
January, 1908, and the close of the relief work.
* See Part I, p. 44.
79
EMERGENCY METHODS
TABLE 23. — EJECTMENTS FROM CAMPS DURING THE ENTIRE PERIOD
OF THE RELIEF WORK, BY MONTHS
Month and year
Ejectments
Month and year
Ejectments
1906 May
18
1907 April .
I
June .
• •
May .
26
July .
5
une .
II
August
108
July .
27
September
75
August
23
October
43
September
10
November
60
October
ID
December .
35
November .
5
1907 January
15
December
4
February
• •
1908 January
12
March .
• •
Total ejectments for period .
488
Reasons for ejectments, as stated by the camp commanders,
and the number of ejectments for each reason or group of reasons,
are shown in Table 24.
TABLE 24. — REASONS FOR EJECTMENTS FROM CAMPS DURING THE
ENTIRE PERIOD OF THE RELIEF WORK
Reason for ejectment
Drunkenness
Drunken and disorderly conduct
Disturbance of the peace and disorderly conduct
Immorality
Refusal to pay rent
Refusal to work in camp
Vagrancy
Assault
Stealing and burglary
Miscellaneous reasons
Reason not stated
Total
Ejectments
148
133
74
14
12
10
9
5
4
48
31
488
80
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5 J
5 1
THE OFFICIAL CAMPS
Table 25 shows the total population of the official camps for
each month from May, 1906, to June, 1908, inclusive.
TABLE 25. — POPULATION OF OFFICIAL CAMPS, EXCLUSIVE OF INGLE-
SIDE MODEL CAMP, FROM MAY, I906, TO JUNE, I908, INCLUSIVE
(The figure given for each month is the maximum daily total)
Month and year
Persons
sheltered
Month and year
Persons
sheltered
1906 May .
13,170
1907 June .
i7>592
June .
i7»274
July .
17,300
July .
I7>959
August
15,785
August
18,356
September .
11,424
September
18,305
October
8,916
October
15^558
November
5,331
November
13,969
December
3,367
December
14*245
1908 January
1,760
1907 January
14,616
February
1,700
February
I5»i49
March.
1,392
March
16,447
April .
1,321
April .
17,223
May .
1,230
May .
n>524
June .
948
Although the data available for determining the character of
the camp population are incomplete, from the weekly reports of the
camp commanders we can derive figures which probably represent
a fair average of the conditions. It appears that from September
to December, 1906, about 39 per cent of the persons sheltered were
men, about 31 per cent women, and about 30 per cent children.
Approximately 55 per cent of the members of the camp population
were at work. The proportion of persons who were at work was
about 89 per cent among the men, about 39 per cent among the
women, and about 25 per cent among the children.
The large percentage of men who were working is worthy of
notice. There were numerous complaints during the existence of
the camps that these were harboring a large number of idle,
shiftless men. Those who offered such criticisms failed to take
into account that there is even in normal times a considerable
percentage of unemployed men who spend much of their time in
public places. A part of the apparently well and able-bodied were
in reality incapable of much work, and others though apparently
unemployed were night workers. When the haunts of the idle were
6 81
EMERGENCY METHODS
covered with ashes, it is hardly strange that they should have been
found in numbers in the pubHc parks and squares.
In Chapter 1 the story has been told of the need felt for
making some permanent provision for the refugees before the
oncoming of the rainy season. The Corporation, after making a
careful study of the situation in the camps, decided to adopt a
separate cottage plan for temporary as well as for permanent
housing, except in one locality, South Park, whose limited area gave
no space for separate cottages.
On August I, 1906, the care of the camps passed from the
army to the Department of Camps and Warehouses.* From then
until June 30, 1908, when the last camp was closed, that depart-
ment had entire charge of maintenance. The Department of
Lands and Buildings was responsible for the construction of the
cottages built to replace the tents. The first of August, 1906, the
Corporation made public its plan to build cottagest and let the
contracts for the erection of buildings. Building began September
10, and on the sixteenth 20 cottages in Hamilton Square were com-
pleted. At least two or three months, however, intervened before
any considerable number of houses could be made ready for the
refugees. Before completing its work the Department of Lands
and Buildings had installed in the public squares for use in con-
nection with the 5,610 cottages which it had built, 667 patent
flush closets, 247 hoppers, over six miles of gas and water pipe and
over five miles of sewer pipe; also the necessary fittings, which
included 325 galvanized sinks, with faucets and traps, and 624
gas brackets. J
Thus for the period of approximately six months those who
had no resources to build found house room as best they might.
Many diificulties were met by those who controlled the funds.
Building had had to be delayed because of the extraordinary
amount of work involved in supplying food, clothing, water,
sanitary protection, and temporary shelter. The pressure on the
relief machinery seemed to tax its utmost capacity. When it
was necessary to push rebuilding plans, additional machinery and
more workers had to be provided.
In the official camps the refugees had in large measure been
* See Part I, p. 26. f See Part IV, p. 217. J See Part IV, p. 221.
82
THE OFFICIAL CAMPS
supplied with tents free of charge. As the time came for the
removal of tents and temporary shacks and the substitution of
wooden buildings, the question was raised, who would be entitled
to their use, and on what terms? Cottages were assigned by the
camp commanders, first, to those in the official camps; second, to
those in shacks and tents outside; third, to those still in the city
who were living in cellars and similar places, including those who
were receiving shelter from friends, and those who were citizens
but were living outside the city. Some who had not been burned
out, but needed to be better housed, received cottages and moved
them for permanent use to lots which they owned or leased.
For seven months the people had been furnished with tents
free of charge, but when the change was made to the wooden
cottages, it was thought best to charge a nominal rental.* The
argument was that to give everything and ask nothing in return^
on the one hand killed the self-respect of the efficient class and on
the other gave opportunity to the idle to shirk all civic and social
responsibility; that the no-rent policy had brought about serious
economic disturbances, and its continuance would prepare the way
for yet more serious trouble.
Finally, it was foreseen that the abnormal real estate con-
ditions which had made it possible for the homeless to secure
shelter, would not be relieved until those living in camp cottages
should seek and be able to secure quarters elsewhere. Accordingly,
it was definitely decided that as fast as buildings were made
available in the camps, they should be leased to refugees by camp
commanders at nominal rates. A special form of lease was pro-
vided which, theoretically, each applicant was compelled to sign
before occupying a cottage.
The San Francisco Relief and Red Cross Funds, a corpora-
tion, was the lessor; and the refugee, the lessee. The lease was in
effect a contract of purchase, for it provided that the tenant
should become the owner of the cottage if he paid his rent to August
I, 1907. In general the applicant agreed to pay a specified rent
and gas rate per month, to comply with all rules and regulations of
the camp department and the camp commanders. He agreed not
to assign his lease to another nor sublet without written consent.
* See Part IV, p. 222, for explanation of miscarriage of plan.
83
EMERGENCY METHODS
He agreed furthermore to vacate the house at the expiration of
his lease unless through full payment of all rents and charges he
had acquired ownership. In that event he agreed to remove the
house from the camp at his own expense before August, 1907.
Failure to remove meant to forfeit ownership. When on account
of ill-health or other disability a person was not able to pay rent,
the camp commander notified the Rehabilitation Committee.
The shelter furnished by the army and the Finance Com-
mittee was with few exceptions on public land. When the Cor-
poration was ready to build cottages it asked the park commis-
sion for permission to use certain parks and squares. The com-
mission having no power to give the authority agreed, on August
17, 1906, to ignore the occupation of parks and squares, on the
understanding that such use was for a period of not more than one
year; the cottages were then to be removed as rapidly as possible.
The parks and squares were the most suitable places in which
to give temporary shelter. The damage and loss to the city from
their use were insignificant, and in the camps policing and sanita-
tion were supplied. There would have been rivalry among owners
of land to secure the camps, and consequent charges of favoritism,
graft, etc. The parks and squares were well situated with refer-
ence to the centers of industry and the building operations.
Throughout the work the park commissioners co-operated with
the Relief Corporation and rendered valuable assistance. To have
followed the suggestion of the committee on housing the homeless
to establish but one encampment, would have been very unwise.
In the summer following the disaster many persons were hindered
from becoming self-supporting because of their remoteness in
Golden Gate Park from centers of work.
The camp in South Park, already spoken of as unique in
character, consisted of nineteen two-story tenement buildings and
a one-story bath-house and laundry building. Some of the build-
ings were divided into 16 suites of two rooms each and the others
into 12 tenements of two rooms each. The total number of rooms
was 656. The maximum population was 648. They had adequate
fire protection and the occupants were required to take part
regularly in a fire drill. There was steady demand for the rooms,
by reason of the nearness of the camp to the shipping and manufac-
turing districts. The tenements were full almost all the time.
84
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the official camps
Removal from the Camps
The terms of the contract signed by appHcants fixed, in
large measure, the conditions under which cottages could be
removed from the camps and become the permanent property of
their owners.* Whenever a person proved to the Department that
he had purchased or leased a lot in the city and county of San
Francisco, he was permitted at his own expense to move his
house.
In June, 1907, the park commissioners requested the Relief
Corporation to clear the public squares of cottages by August 1 7.
Clearing the squares and parks of these cottages proved to be a dif-
ficult task, for many occupants sought delay on the ground of being
unable to secure other quarters. In a few cases the persons had
either to be evicted or to have the houses pulled down over their
heads. On account of the poverty of many occupants, and in order
to secure better sanitary supervision while the fear of bubonic plague
lasted, the camp at Lobos Square was retained after the others had
been abandoned. It was used by the poorest of the refugees from
other camps, as well as by its own unusual number of dependents.
This camp was not entirely abandoned till June 30, igoS.f
Cottages to the number of 5,343 were removed from the
camps, all but a few to be used as dwellings. Real estate firms
which applied to purchase cottages to establish them in groups on
their own lots were refused by the Department on the ground that
any such arrangement would tend to perpetuate camp life; lacking
superintendence and control, such camp life would be worse than
that which then existed. Despite the action of the Department,
however, large vacant lots were sub-divided and rented to indi-
vidual owners of cottages. J Seventy-four of the cottages were
given to philanthropic agencies and were installed by them in
various parts of the city for use as club rooms or for similar pur-
poses.
The work of the Associated Charities in moving and repairing
cottages deserves special mention. The Corporation arranged
* See Part IV, pp. 222 and 232.
t For population of the camp April, 1908, see Part I, p. 29.
X See Two Cottage Settlements, Part IV, p. 234 if.
85
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THE OFFICIAL CAMPS
t
Removal from the Camps
The terms of the contract signed by appHcants fixed, in
large measure, the conditions under which cottages could be
removed from the camps and become the permanent property of
their owners.* Whenever a person proved to the Department that
he had purchased or leased a lot in the city and county of San
Francisco, he was permitted at his own expense to move his
house.
In June, 1907, the park commissioners requested the Relief
Corporation to clear the public squares of cottages by August 1 7.
Clearing the squares and parks of these cottages proved to be a dif-
ficult task, for many occupants sought delay on the ground of being
unable to secure other quarters. In a few cases the persons had
either to be evicted or to have the houses pulled down over their
heads. On account of the poverty of many occupants, and in order
to secure better sanitary supervision while the fear of bubonic plague
lasted, the camp at Lobos Square was retained after the others had
been abandoned. It was used by the poorest of the refugees from
other camps, as well as by its own unusual number of dependents.
This camp was not entirely abandoned till June 30, 1908.!
Cottages to the number of 5,343 were removed from the
camps, all but a few to be used as dwellings. Real estate firms
which applied to purchase cottages to establish them in groups on
their own lots were refused by the Department on the ground that
any such arrangement would tend to perpetuate camp life; lacking
superintendence and control, such camp life would be worse than
that which then existed. Despite the action of the Department,
however, large vacant lots were sub-divided and rented to indi-
vidual owners of cottages. J Seventy-four of the cottages were
given to philanthropic agencies and were installed by them in
various parts of the city for use as club rooms or for similar pur-
poses.
The work of the Associated Charities in moving and repairing
cottages deserves special mention. The Corporation arranged
* See Part IV, pp. 222 and 232.
t For population of the camp April, 1908, see Part I, p. 29.
{ See Two Cottage Settlements, Part IV, p. 234 ff.
85
EMERGENCY METHODS
with the Associated Charities to move from the camps the cottages
belonging to widows with children and to families having incapac-
itated breadwinners. The moving of cottages, which began in
July, 1907, was not ended until the latter part of June, 1908.*
The amount of work accomplished at a cost comparatively small
shows excellent business management. The greater part of the
work of moving, installing, and repairing the cottages was done
by unemployed carpenters, plumbers, and laborers. "Considering
the number of cottages moved and made habitable, we have had
very few complaints as to the workmanship," is noted in a report
of the Associated Charities, — a comment that could not be made
in connection with many houses erected bythe regular contractors.
The efforts being made by families permanently to own
homes are shown by the following figures: The number of cottagers
buying lots was 208; paying ground rent, 447; owning own
property, 30; given one month's rent to move from camp but
present condition unknown, 1 8. Total, 703.
Under the supervision of the Associated Charities the 208
families buying lots bid fair, according to reports given in 1908,
to own them in the immediate future. It is doubtless true that
but for the direction of the society these families never would
have seriously considered owning a house and lot.
From August i, 1906, to June 30, 1908, there is accurate
information from which to determine the cost of the camps.
During this period 7,171,522 days' shelter was furnished at a cost
of $884,558.81 for construction of cottages and of $453,000.04 for
maintenance, a total of $1,337,558.85, a daily per capita cost of
18.7 cents. The daily per capita cost of maintenance was 6 cents.
No allowance is here made for the value of the tents in use from
August I till they were replaced by the cottages, but their value
is more than offset by that of the cottages when they were
vacated. t
For the whole period of the relief work, the cost of the camps
was as follows:
* The total number of cottages moved or repaired by the Associated Chari-
ties was 703, at an expenditure of $55,963.50 or an average of $79.61 per cottage.
The appropriation for this work allowed for a maximum expenditure of Si 50 per
cottage.
t For total expenditures of all departments for housing, see Table 64, p. 220.
86
THE OFFICIAL CAMPS
TABLE 26. — COST OF CAMPS DURING THE ENTIRE PERIOD OF THE
RELIEF WORK
Value of shelter furnished by the army as reported by General
Greely $421,195.08
Paid by Finance Committee for shelter up to August I, 1906 . . 187,056.56
Paidforsanitationof camps and city up to August I, 1906 . . . 155,473.60
Costof building camp cottages and tenements after August I, 1906 . 884,558.81
Paid by Department of Camps and Warehouses, for maintenance
after August i, 1906 453,000.04
Total . • $2,101,284.09
In addition to the shelter furnished at Ingleside and the
Rehef Home, an estimate of 1 1 ,000,000* days of shelter for the
entire relief period may be given, a figure that is probably too
small. From it we get an average daily per capita cost of 19. i
cents.
The apparently greater cost of shelter for the early period is
due possibly to too low an estimate of the number of days' shelter
furnished outside of official camps. It must be kept in mind that
the disbursements given above include all disbursements for
sanitation and for medical care in the camps, and also that the
residents of the camps included a large proportion of aged, infirm,
and dependent persons. The actual cost would be reduced if it
were possible to deduct the value of the tents and cottages at the
time they ceased to be used.
What is astounding in this story of giving shelter to a great
displaced city population of 250,000! souls is not the number of
days that shelter had to be provided or the sum total of cost.
The astounding fact is that when Camp Lobos, the last stamping
ground of the residuum, J was closed to refugees on June 30, 1908,
the number of persons that had to be cared for by the Associated
Charities and the Relief Home was so small. In June, 1906,
40,000 persons were living at the expense of the relief funds in camps
* Estimated number of days of shelter from April 18, 1906, to August i,
1906, 3,828,478.
t 200,000 is the number given for persons burned out of house and home.
The difference is accounted for by the number made homeless because of loss of
income and because of the homes made temporarily uninhabitable by the earth-
quake.
t See Part VI, p. 357, and Part V, p. 305 flf., for number that had to be
taken care of permanently. The small number who left the almshouse to seek
shelter in the camps is also noted in Part VI.
87
EMERGENCY METHODS
and shacks; two years later, leaving out of consideration those who
had been given shelter at Ingleside, only 703 had to be aided by
charitable agency to obtain permanent shelter.
This section may well be closed by a brief and necessarily
inadequate statement of the social work undertaken in connec-
tion with the camp life. Four important settlements were swept
to ashes by the fire, — the South Park Settlement, a pioneer work in
San Francisco, the Telegraph Hill Neighborhood Association, the
Nurses' Settlement, and the Columbia Park Boys' Club. The
residents of each showed, as did the Associated Charities, their
power of readjusting their work to meet the new demands for
service. They transferred their activity to the camps where they,
as well as groups of other volunteers, tried to improve social
conditions.
Various organizations of women co-operated also to help
carry on the work of the sewing center at the Hearst Grammar
School, which was established the middle of May by the representa-
tive of the American National Red Cross, in connection with its
employment bureau. Here volunteers met and distributed gar-
ments and taught women and girls to sew, giving materials to
some in exchange for their work on garments, which were dis-
tributed to other refugees. The work grew so that sewing circles
were opened in various camps and other suitable places, which
furnished proper clothing and gave employment and instruction
to women and girls. By July, 1907, over 75,000 garments had
been made in the 75 centers that had been established in camps,
churches, public schools, and settlements. The work itself had
been brought under the Corporation as a part of its Department
of Relief and Rehabilitation, and had been given the name of
Industrial Bureau, with Lucile Eaves as director. Rev. D. O.
Crowley as adviser, and six seamstresses on salary. Miss Eaves,
formerly head worker of the South Park Settlement, had been
in charge of the sewing circles before the incorporation of the San
Francisco Relief and Red Cross Funds. There is no account of
expenditures made for this work to August i, 1906. After that
date the Corporation expended ^37,895.70. The two largest
items of expenditure were $28,521.09 for dry goods and other
supplies and $4,464 for service.
88
SAFEGUARDING HEALTH
. Temporary social halls were built at the expense of the
Corporation to be used by residents of the camps as meeting
places and by social workers for kindergartens, day nurseries,
reading rooms, sewing classes, and improvement clubs, for reli-
gious meetings, for lectures, and for concerts.
The story of the quick recovery of the settlements them-
selves and of how, awaiting the building of new quarters, they by
makeshifts got the people together, cannot be told here. To show
in a measure what it meant to the social worker to find himself
suddenly bereft of all the means to serve his end, the following
paragraphs written by a probation officer are given :
"On the morning of April 20, practically every vestige of the three
years' work of the juvenile court had vanished.
"Our office was cleaned out; little piles of delicate white ash
represented our records, compiled with such care and toil. Where the
detention home stood was a heap of tangled scrap iron. Three out of
five of our officers were homeless. Our probationers were scattered to the
four winds of heaven. Fortunately, none of the children in detention
was injured; during the first day of the fire they were safely conveyed to
a sand-dump camp at the western edge of the city.*'
6. SAFEGUARDING HEALTH
Sanitation was at once recognized to be a pressing problem.
As has been told, latrines were quickly built in the camps and in
other parts of the city, and a large force of plumbers was kept at
work to repair leaks in sewers so as to prevent the seepage of sewage
into the water supply. Citizens were ordered to boil all drinking
water and the authorities took charge of all milk as soon as it was
delivered to the city. Sanitary orders were cheerfully obeyed.
"Obey the Sanitary Law or be shot'' tacked on a partially wrecked
house showed that some of the refugees held to a pioneer code.
That they did so, and that the authorities were alert, the excellent
health record of the months that followed bears testimony. The
sanitary problem was to a small degree lessened by the fact that
with the terror of the earthquake and fire in their eyes, the vicious
and parasitic classes fled from the city; to a large degree by the
fact that nature was kind in giving conditions that were peculiarly
favorable to life in the open.
89
EMERGENCY METHODS
To put emphasis on sanitation was an essential. Colonel
G. H. Torney,* of the army medical department, was placed in
charge of all sanitary work, both of the camps and of the city.
By April 28 a medical officer had been assigned to each of the six
military districts. f This officer assigned inspectors to make daily
inspections of the camps in his district, to keep a close watch for
infectious diseases, and to see that there was a large force of
scavengers. The expense of the work was borne by the army and
was drawn from the Congressional appropriation.
Because of the army's efficiency during the first few weeks
there was no serious outbreak of disease, though there was for
a short time a fear that smallpox might become epidemic. As
long, however, as the city authorities permitted groups of people to
live in isolated camps proper sanitary supervision was impossible.
The greatest danger was from the flies and from the use of water
drawn in the early days from wells and other unusual sources of
supply. As soon as possible sterilizers were installed in the camps
and weekly tests made of the water used in each.
Early in May a physician named by the city authorities was
stationed at each district headquarters to have charge of all health
regulations and to be subject to the orders of Colonel Torney.
The services of the army officers were retained to make
reports on conditions until the middle of May, when the division
into sanitary districts was abandoned and Colonel Torney's duties
were changed so that he might become chief sanitary officer of
permanent camps under General Greely, the division commander.
An army medical officer was then assigned to each official camp.
He was responsible for the sanitation of his camp, but not for
territories beyond its boundaries. He could be called upon to
advise the civil authorities who were responsible for the final
removal of all camp garbage and refuse after it had been taken
from the camps designated to places outside camp limits.
The board of health, acting under orders of the Executive
Commission, appointed a health corps which was paid by the
Finance Committee of Relief and Red Cross Funds and subject
to the direction of the camp commander. The personnel of the
corps under the board of health in each camp consisted, varying
* Later appointed Surgeon General of the United States Army. f See Part I, p. 11 .
90
SAFEGUARDING HEALTH
according to the camp population, of one to two surgeons, one to
four nurses, a pharmacist, and from two to ten laborers. There
were for service at large one surgeon, two dentists, two sanitary
inspectors, one pharmacist, six laborers, and two chauffeurs.
The total number in the corps was: surgeons, 24; nurses, 26;
dentists, 2 ; laborers, 89; inspectors, 2 ; pharmacists, 1 5 ; chauffeurs, 2.
Taking into account the character of the camp population,
a considerable part of which was of the class that does not under-
stand the need of sanitary precautions, the freedom from epidemic
during the first few months is remarkable. A report of the
medical department of the army shows that 30 cases of typhoid
fever occurred in April, 55 in May, and 10 up to June 23, 1906.
As the average number of cases per month reported by the
city to the state board of health for the two years previous to the
fire was only 12, there is apparently an increase of this disease dur-
ing April and May. The 30 cases which developed in April must
have been due to infection previous to April 18, so that unless the
statistics of either the army or the city board of health are incorrect,
an increase of this disease must have threatened before the fire.
Of the 95 cases which developed between April 18 and June 23
only five developed in official camps. Of smallpox there were
123 cases between April 18 and June 23. Five of these were
reported by the board of health as camp cases, but none of them
originated in official camps under army control.
In October and November, 1906, there was a decided increase
in the number of cases of typhoid fever, the bureau of hospitals
alone having charge at one time of 155 cases. The patients came
from camps, official and unofficial, and from houses. The epi-
demic, if it can be called such, was found to be carried not by
contaminated milk or water but by flies. The sanitation methods
of the board of health had not been good enough to protect the
refugees in the various camps. The board of health, therefore,
not the Department of Camps and Warehouses, was responsible
for the number of typhoid fever cases.
The care of the sick was a minor problem of the relief work.
The number of persons seriously injured by the fire and earthquake
was but 415. Most of the hospitals stood outside the burned
section, and though some of them suffered heavy damage by the
91
EMERGENCY METHODS
earthquake, no demand had to be made for hospital facilities that
could not be met fairly adequately. Some of the sick were imme^
diately cared for in neighboring communities, and by the army in
its hospitals at the Presidio and at Fort Mason, and in a field
hospital established in Golden Gate Park.* At one time during
the summer following the disaster many of the city hospital
beds were vacant, even though numerous chronic cases became
hospital charges when relatives and friends were no longer finan-
cially able to provide for them.
The physicians and nurses who came immediately after the
disaster to San Francisco to offer their services could not be
utilized, as the demand for medical and nursing service was not
greater than could be supplied by local physicians and nurses.
A party of fourteen nurses that came from Seattle soon after the
disaster reported for duty at five o'clock one afternoon. "Have
you return transportation?" asked the chairman of the committee
that received them. "Yes,'' was the answer. "Well, there is
a train which starts for Seattle tomorrow morning at nine o'clock,"
was the laconic order.
In this incident we see the need of a clearing house of infor-
mation to be established as one of the very first agencies in a large
work of relief. It would in this case have prevented the sending of
unnecessary nurses and physicians and would have saved expense.
More important, however, would have been its service in standard-
izing the methods of record keeping and in preventing overlapping
of work of the various departments. f
There was immediate need of medical supplies to replace
the stock destroyed by fire. But the sub-committees on drugs
and medical supplies and on care of the sick and wounded, ap-
pointed by the Citizens' Committee, could find little to do in those
early days after the disaster, as the army practically took charge
of the distribution of the medical supplies and was using the Cali-
fornia Red Cross as its agent. This branch of the Red Cross not
only cared for some of the sick directly, but did much more im-
portant work in collecting information as to the needs of the sick
and as to the condition of the hospitals throughout the city.
* The establishment of a field hospital in Golden Gate Park is a good instance
of the great care that was taken to be prepared for whatever emergency might arise.
t See Some Lessons of the Relief Survey, p. 369 ff.
92
SAFEGUARDING HEALTH
- The Finance Committee, acting early in May on the advice
of Colonel Torney, established 26 free dispensaries which were
supplied by the army with drugs and other medical supplies. It
was careful not to compete with retail trade, so closed any dis-
pensary near which a retail drug store was later opened. The
Finance Committee also appointed early in May a committee on
hospitals and authorized it to make payments to designated
hospitals for the care of destitute patients. The hospitals which
were to receive payments from the relief funds were at first named
by the board of health, later by the Finance Committee itself,
which made selection of six hospitals. An executive officer, a
physician, was appointed to pass on the eligibility of the patients
who applied for free care and to determine the time of discharge of
each from the hospital.
In July this executive officer, whose title was that of super-
visor of accredited hospitals, served under direction of the Execu-
tive Commission; but after August i he was subject to the Corpora-
tion, an arrangement which held until July i, 1908, when the
Bureau of Hospitals of the Department of Relief and Rehabilita-
tion was closed. The Associated Charities was then given author-
ity by the Corporation to send destitute patients directly to the
hospitals. The Corporation reimbursed the hospitals for care
given. The hospitals selected to receive patients whose care was
paid for from the funds were changed from time to time.
The value of the compensation to hospitals was at first equiva-
lent to $13 or $14 a week for each patient. On July 1 8 the Executive
Commission had fixed the maximum rate of $2.00 per day without
supplies. This was to cover cost of operations and attendance. It
had remained in force until the Bureau of Hospitals was closed.
The Bureau's records, which are inadequate in some respects,
show that the highest number of hospital cases for one week, 276,
was reached during the period of the typhoid epidemic. Later
reports show an average of about 212 patients per week from
August, 1906, to September, 1907. Of the patients sent to hospi-
tals through the Bureau 10 per cent were children, 35 per cent men^
and 55 per cent women.
The financial report of the Corporation shows that the
total cost for the care of the sick to May 29, 1909, was $344, 165.07.
93
EMERGENCY METHODS
In addition, food, medical supplies, and furnishings were given to
hospitals to the value of 5^97,670.16. Of the $344, 165.07, there was
expended previous to August 1, 1906, $107,396.43. The sum of
$278,070.76 was paid directly to hospitals for the care of patients,
on presentation of vouchers, while the balance of $66,094.31,
though not paid directly to the hospitals, was expended in various
ways for the benefit of the hospital patients. Between August
I, 1906, and June i, 1909, $231,1 10.46 was paid directly to hospi-
tals for the care of patients. This latter sum, less $1,960.25 which
cannot be distributed, represents 134,373 days of hospital care at
an average cost of $1.71 per patient per day. The average rates
of the different hospitals varied from $1 .07 to $2.00.
Although the rates paid by the relief funds were often less
than the actual cost to the hospitals of caring for patients in normal
times, it was to the advantage of the hospitals to care for the sick,
many of whom they would have had to take in any case. The
volume of business helped to lower the per capita cost of main-
tenance. It was also an incentive to the directors to increase
their facilities and to private benefactors to give money toward
their support.
7. RELIEVING THE JAPANESE AND CHINESE
The Japanese asked for very little relief, in part because
many had difficulty in speaking English, but more generally
because all were aware of the anti-Japanese feeling of a small but
aggressive part of the community; this in spite of the fact that
Japan contributed directly to the local committee and through
the American National Red Cross nearly a quarter of a million
dollars.
On April 20, independent relief associations were formed by
Japanese residents in San Francisco and Oakland, but on the same
day they wisely united under the name Japanese Relief Association
to care for practically all their fellow countrymen.
The Japanese Relief Association estimated the number of
their countrymen made destitute by the fire to be over 10,000,
which is about 3 per cent of the total number of persons made
dependent for short or long periods of time. On July 6, 1906, not
over 100 Japanese were receiving assistance from the Relief and
94
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RELIEVING THE JAPANESE AND CHINESE
Red Cross Funds. Of these about 50 were receiving shelter only,
in Lafayette Square, and 50 were receiving help at relief stations.
That is, the Japanese constituted not more than one-half of i per
cent of the bread line and about a quarter of i per cent of the popu-
lation of the official c^mps. Even at the beginning the number re-
ceiving help from the Relief and Red Cross Funds was probably
not much greater. The Relief Survey estimates that the total
value of relief of all kinds furnished by the army and the Finance
Committee to Japanese did not exceed ^3,000. Among the 30,000
or more persons who applied for rehabilitation, there was not one
Japanese. Their own relief association, assisted by Japanese
throughout the state, within ten days after the disaster sent
between 7,000 and 8,000 of them to places outside of San Fran-
cisco. On July 6 some of these had returned and the number of
Japanese refugees then in the city was estimated by the associa-
tion to be 4,000, two hundred of whom it was supplying with
provisions.
China contributed ^40,000 to the San Francisco Relief and
Red Cross Funds for the general work of relief.
There is not much information available about the Chinese.
They probably received altogether more food than the Japanese
and they certainly received more in the way of shelter, yet the
total value of all aid given them was relatively insignificant.
Like the Japanese, and for the same reasons, they did not ask for
much. At the beginning a separate camp was established for
them, — Number 3, in the Presidio reservation. The population
of this camp on May 8, 1906, was 186. Later, when cottages
were built in Portsmouth Square, on the border of Chinatown,
37 out of the 1 53 cottages were assigned to Chinese. Not over 140
applications for rehabilitation were made by Chinese. About
half of the number were assisted at an average expenditure of
about $70. Nearly all these cases were brought to the notice
of the Committee by social workers, as only a few Chinese applied
voluntarily for relief. Ten thousand dollars is a liberal estimate
of the value of relief given to the Chinese.
95
Ill
QUESTIONS OF FINANCE
1. CLAIMS
THE word "claim'' as used in the relief accounting was ap-
plied to anything from a time check for a day's work to
a ten thousand dollar demand for goods seized, a usage that
arose from the fact that for the first few days, when there was no
available cash, many obligations were incurred that were a proper
charge on the relief funds though not authorized by the Finance
Committee.
. Some claims were made by those who suffered a change of
sentiment toward contributing relief. During the hours of urgent
need men donated their goods, workmen gave their labor, and
professional men, their services, who when later they saw the size
of the relief funds could not resist the insidious craving to have a
share of the big whole. There is the instance of men belonging
to one of the building trades who did work for which they ex-
pected no pay but later were not satisfied to take the ^4.00 a day
offered as payment by the Finance Committee. They demanded
^6.00 because other men were receiving that amount for a day's
work. Business houses within and without the city evinced the
same spirit.
Day by day the flood of claims swelled. Claimants and
their attorneys laid siege to the Finance Committee and tried by
bribes and threats of lawsuits to collect their claims. A large
force of clerks and a special committee were kept hard at work
trying to learn the merits of the claims. The Finance Committee
itself day after day was compelled, instead of discussing necessary
relief measures, to give the greater part of its sessions to the hear-
ing or to the discussion of these claims.*
* See Sixth Annual Report American National Red Cross, 19 10, p. 160.
96
QUESTIONS OF FINANCE
The circumstances of seizure had varied. Often when the
fire was almost upon a store somebody would assume authority
and break it open to give the stock to the people. In such a case
the stock would have been destroyed by fire and there was no
justice in the claim for seizure except where the owner as a con-
sequence lost insurance. Irresponsible individuals who had no
connection with relief committees had seized goods and impressed
vehicles. Those who sufl'ered loss through such lawless acts
were unfortunate, but they had no real claim to reimbursement
from the relief funds.
The same may be said of the individuals, the business houses,
and the transportation companies whose goods were stolen, not
seized, from freight cars and warehouses. Many claims for re-
grettable losses which might have been legitimate if brought
against state, city, or person, were unjust when brought against
the relief funds. Fraudulent attempts were also made to collect
from the relief funds for losses that had no connection with the
relief work and for losses that had never occurred. It was a per-
plexing problem to deal with these thousands of claims, the dif-
ficulties of which were increased by the insistence of those with
the least valid claims.
The last report of the Department of Bills and Demands
dated March i6, 1907, gives the following figures:
TABLE 27. — DISPOSAL OF CLAIMS ACTED UPON BY THE DEPARTMENT
OF BILLS AND DEMANDS, TO MARCH 1 6, I907
Disposal of claims
CLAIMS PRESENTED
Number
Amount claimed
Claims rejected as a whole ....
Claims cancelled, withdrawn, etc.
Claims donated
Claims approved in whole or in part .
1,164
lOI
18
9,669
j?45 1,36959
13,269.54
10,528 20
2,242,003.00
Total
10,952
552,717,170.33
97
EMERGENCY METHODS
TABLE 28. — PAYMENTS UPON CLAIMS ACTED UPON BY THE DEPART-
MENT OF BILLS AND DEMANDS, TO MARCH 16, I907
CLAIMS PRESENTED
PAYMENTS MADE
Disposal of cLiims
Number
Amount
claimed
Amount
Per cent of
amount
claimed
Claims approved in whole
or in part
All claims ....
9,669
10,952
$2,242,003.00
2.717.170.33
$1,501,781.52
1,501,781.52
67.0
55.3
After March i6, 1907, a few long pending and new claims
were paid. Some law suits had been settled, and a few were still
pending against the Corporation when this report was prepared.
It thus appears that the trustees of the relief funds paid over
a million and a half dollars for expenditures, many of which they
had not authorized and were unable to control. They tried to
pay only such part of the claims as represented supplies and service
used in relief work. Just claims were cut down as a rule, so that
a comparatively small number of claims were paid in full.
In deciding the merits of claims the supervising and judicial
committees appointed sub-committees of experienced men to
supplement their own technical knowledge. Many claims for
liquor destroyed by soldiers and citizens were presented, but the
Finance Committee decided to pay no liquor claims. The enor-
mous disbursements for automobile service and for transportation
of supplies were made chiefly in payment of emergency claims.
Claims of various sorts were paid by the War Department out
of the Congressional appropriation of $2,500,000. Other claims
were paid by the state. As the Relief Corporation could get no
information about such claims it is possible that there were dupli-
cate payments.
2. SYSTEM OF ACCOUNTING— A NOTE
The accounting system, of the Relief and Red Cross Funds
has been criticized because it did not readily yield information as
to the amounts expended for various purposes, and because it was
complicated. The first seems a fair criticism, for contributors to
98
THE CONTROL OF DONATIONS
funds and the public in general are more interested in the cost of
various forms of relief than in the state of the appropriations.
The system of appropriations to the departments for different
purposes was based on carefully prepared budgets. It was good
for controlling expenditures and for keeping a check on depart-
ments and bureaus. For those not directly connected with the
work, additional information in simple form might easily have
been given. The intricacy of the accounting, however, seems
justified by the results. It was devised to make the handling
of the money as secure as possible. So far as the local auditors
and the auditor of the War Department have been able to dis-
cover there was only one transaction that looked like misappropria-
tion of money. About $i,ooo received by a camp employe from
certain authorized sales was for a short time kept back. The
apparent shortage, easily detected by the accounting department,
was made good.
Considering the extraordinary conditions under which the
work was organized, such a showing is remarkable. When men
undertake the thankless task of handling a large relief fund, if
they have a keen sense of responsibility and a realization of the
difficulties ahead they will wish to disburse the fund through a
system which is as safe as possible. It is worth while for them not
only to prevent misappropriation but even the appearance of it.
The employes of such a committee will find satisfaction, when
accused of graft and stealing, — an accusation suffered many times
by the San Francisco workers, — in showing their accusers just how
the money is guarded and that it is impossible for them to steal.
A system that insures such security is worth the extra cost.
3. THE CONTROL OF DONATIONS
As a result, primarily, of the publication of sensational
stories in the press of the country, the plans of the Corporation
were at times seriously embarrassed by the withholding of funds
by eastern committees and by the possible danger of those funds
being dispensed by independent agencies.
The studies in rehabilitation show that the suspension of
grants on August 20, 1906, the period of arrested progress, had a
serious effect upon the rehabilitation work. It caused a change
99
EMERGENCY METHODS
of relief policy so that families given grants in one period were
treated differently from those in another. It meant for many
families a long wait from August 20 to the middle of October when
the embargo was lifted. The Corporation had worked out^awise,
comprehensive program on the basis of estimated income and
then suddenly had to question whether the income might not
be $3,000,000 less. Inevitably every department suffered from
uncertainty and hesitation. The results of such an intolerable
condition were more clearly perceived in rehabilitation than in
the other work, but what the withholding of funds meant in re-
duced efficiency would be hard to estimate.
The two most important funds, those of Massachusetts and
the New York Chamber of Commerce,* were eventually transferred,
the latter with the restriction that it be used for business rehabili-
tation. Only a number of small funds were permanently held,
but the harm was done. The warning should be heeded in future
disasters. It is possible for a relief committee, when its work
is hardest, to be tied up because of a few newspaper stories
which may or may not have foundation in fact.
The investigator sent by the Massachusetts committee
because of the newspaper stories, after investigation cordially
endorsed the work of the Relief Corporation and made but few
criticisms.
What is the remedy? It cannot be too plainly stated that
there must be only one relief committee or corporation.! There
must be no division of responsibility for distribution. If there
must be reform it must be within the relief corporation itself.
If one of the eastern committees in command of large funds had
* Action of the New York Chamber of Commerce taken October 2, 1906,
and transmitted in the form of a resolution to the San Francisco Relief and Red
Cross Funds. — The resolution provided for the transfer of ^500,000 to the Corpora-
tion "to be devoted by said Corporation for the purposes and uses of making grants
of money or its equivalent, to individual sufferers from the disaster for purposes
of rehabilitation, in such sums and by such methods as its Rehabilitation Committee
may approve; and that no part of it should be used for the payment of any pending
claims or obligations incurred prior to such transfer of funds, or for the maintenance
of camps, or for ordinary emergent relief, or for the erection of barracks or cottages,
or for the maintenance of persons therein, it being assumed that the contribution
already made from this fund ($267,500) and the sum subscribed in other ways will
enable the Corporation to accomplish these necessary and worthy objects."
t See Sixth Annual Report American National Red Cross, 19 10, p. 156. See
also section on The Incorporation of the Funds, Part I, p. 25 ff. of this volume.
100
THE CONTROL OF DONATIONS
set up its own agency in San Francisco, it would have been guilty
of improper trusteeship. That much is evident. .The suggestion
has been made that the committees in charge of the larger funds
should each have had a representative on the Finance Cornmittee.
Mr. Bicknell, for instance, came first to San Francisco as the
representative of the Chicago Commercial Association and the
Mayor's committee funds. But such representation would nor
include the smaller fund committees. A more inclusive plan is
desirable. The gradual strengthening of the American National
Red Cross seems to point the way. The Red Cross should be-
come so fully recognized as the national agency for all disaster
funds that it should eventually, in any given case, receive all
funds not sent directly to a local committee. Its relation to
local committees will be strengthened and it can be relied upon to
suggest and whenever necessary push changes in relief measures.
In San Francisco and each subsequent disaster of any proportions,
the American National Red Cross has been represented by its
expert agents. Its strength has been materially increased by
the appointment of a permanent director. The withholding of
funds once subscribed for a particular disaster should become an
impossibility as the status of the national agent is recognized.
We have alluded to one form of restriction, that of requiring
that a specified fund be used for a specified form of rehabilitation.
Such restriction must of course be accepted after an effort has
been made, and has failed, to persuade the forwarding committee
to lift the restriction. But restrictions upon relief in kind are
doubly dangerous and ill-advised. In the San Francisco disaster
the *' flour'' episode gives an apt illustration. Certain forms of food
were donated in quantities in excess of the needs. These were
flour, potatoes, and condensed milk, all three of them valuable
forms of food in an emergency. The potatoes, as it was the end of
the season, did not keep well in large masses and the refugees,
living in tents or in basements or attics, had little room for
storage. Besides, the universal practice in San Francisco and
the vicinity where fresh vegetables can be bought the year round,
is to buy in small quantities from day to day or week to week and
not store in the fall for winter use. The Finance Committee,
unable to dispose of the potatoes to refugees, decided to sell the
101
EMERGENCY METHODS
surplus Stock. The sale does not appear to have been made,
perhaps because they were unsaleable. At any rate large quan-
tities spoiled and had to be thrown away.
It was natural to think that condensed and evaporated milk
would be necessities of prime importance. They were valuable,
but on account of local conditions were not needed in great quan-
tities. The supply of milk from the ranches outside the city was
not much diminished by the earthquake. By confiscation and
by arrangement with dealers an abundant supply of fresh milk
was secured for distribution to the refugees.
Many committees throughout the country sent flour as the
most useful form of food. It came so fast that for lack of ware-
houses in which to store it (practically all city warehouses having
been burned) part of it was put aboard three transports and in
the army warehouses, and finally a vast quantity was stacked up
in the open air. The transports were not adapted to preserving
flour in good condition so they could not long be used as store-
houses. The Finance Committee, confronted by the problem of
finding storage for the vast supply received, and knowing that
it was several times as much as could be reasonably distributed,
decided on May 17 to sell 4,000,000 pounds. This was vigor-
ously objected to by the Minneapolis committee which had sent
15 per cent of the 16,000,000 pounds received. It insisted that
its flour should be distributed, — the very flour sent, not flour pur-
chased later with cash from the sale of Minneapolis flour. This
episode led to newspaper publicity and protests. The lesson is,
that restrictions upon relief in kind are unsatisfactory and em-
barrassing and should always be placed upon a discretionary
basis. The Minneapolis committee claimed that title to its
flour had been transferred to the destitute of San Francisco, not
to the Red Cross or to the Finance Committee, who were appar-
ently to be considered solely as the servants of distribution. The
position is an impossible one in which to place a self-respecting
committee.
Many donors of money gave specific directions as to the
use to which they wished it put. There was the man who sent
Si. 00 with a request to hand it to some worthy sufferer and let
him report to the donor; and there was the refugee who, after he
102
THE CONTROL OF DONATIONS
had found employment elsewhere, sent a small sum, more than
enough to pay for the three days' rations he had received in the
bread line, with the request that the balance be given to a soldier
who had been kind to him. Jewelers sent money for jewelers,
artists for artists, teachers for teachers, physicians for physicians,
the people of one town for their fellow townsmen in San Francisco.
Money was also sent to individuals connected with the
relief funds to be applied to specific purposes. Fortunately,
there were enough unrestricted funds available to assist all classes
and carry out the intent of all donors. It was not necessary to
open a special account for each of these trusts.
No actual restriction as to the purpose of expenditure,
imposed either by donors directly or by the custodians of large
funds, was in itself onerous to the relief authorities, but the cir-
cumstances attendant upon the remittance of restricted funds
caused more or less embarrassment during nearly the whole
period of the relief work.
103
PART II
REHABILITATION
Part II
REHABILITATION
PAGE
I. Beginnings OF Rehabilitation 107
1. General Policy 107
2. Periods of Rehabilitation Work . . . . .111
II. Methods OF Work 113
1. The District System 113
2. The Centralized System 124
3. Withdrawal 133
4. Concluding Remarks 135
III. Calls FOR Special Forms OF Service . . -137
1. Relations with Auxiliary Societies . . . .137
2. Rehabilitation of Institutions 141
3. Bureau of Special Relief 145
IV. What THE Rehabilitation Records Show . . .151
1. Introductory 151
2. Social Data and Total Grants and Refusals . • 1 52
3. Principal and Subsidiary Grants 157
4. The Re-opening of Cases to Make Further Grants . 1 60
5 . Variations in Amiounts of Grants, and Refusals . 1 65
BEGINNINGS OF REHABILITATION
1. GENERAL POLICY
IN the beginning of the Relief Survey it has been shown how,
with what seemed to be an instinctive insistence, the trend of
the work was toward the formulation of a definite rehabili-
tation policy. The principle, one might say axiom, which de-
termined the character of this policy was that help should be
extended with reference to needs and not with reference to losses.
It was not easy to hold to the relief principle in the face of a senti-
ment by no means weak nor voiceless that each sufferer was
entitled to an equal share of the funds. That the Rehabilitation
Committee did consistently act on this principle during the periods
of its activity was a marked achievement — an achievement that
may be counted to the good, not only for the relief of San Fran-
cisco sufferers but for sufferers from subsequent disasters.
When the Rehabilitation Committee began its work at the
beginning of July, 1906,* it could not know what amount of money
would be available for the purposes of its work. It knew that
$1,500,000 had been suggested as the amount and 15,000 as the
number of families to be rehabilitated. It held many conferences
to consider the possibility of obtaining even the roughest sort of
census of the families who would require assistance.
No solution was furnished by the population of the various
camps because even if their total population had been known, it
would not have given a clue to the number of families who were
living with relatives or friends or as tenants in the overcrowded
quarters. Unlike the ordinary relief society, the Committee
could not estimate the total actual needs of its prospective ap-
* See Part I, p. 21.
107
REHABILITATION
plicants. Therefore it had to fix definite limitations for grants*
to those who first applied so that later applicants, with needs
equally great, might not suffer injustice.
With these considerations in mind the Committee at its
first meeting moved to limit the vast bulk of grants to sums of
$500 or less. The decision was that a grant that did not exceed
JJ200 could be approved by one member of the Committee, that
grants of from $200 to $500 should require the signatures of two
members, and that grants of more than $500 should require the
action of the entire Committee. During the first few months the
number of separate grants of S500 or over, exclusive of housing
grants, was but 121, the general assumption in the Committee
room and among the rehabilitation workers being that the number
of families to receive over $500 should be small.
Eventually, of the 20,241 families assisted by the Commit-
tee, 647 families received as much as $500 each.f It was not real-
ized at the beginning that in a great number of instances there
would be re-openings and new applications leading to the granting
of new forms of rehabilitation; that, for example, a family would
be helped first to re-establish itself in business and later to build a
house. Supplementary grants that increased the total allowance to
a family to more than $500 were not passed upon by the Committee
as a whole, though at several meetings the question of requiring
the Committee to act as a whole on the issuance of a series of
grants in excess of $500 to an applicant was informally discussed.
No official action, however, followed the discussions. Before the
middle of July the Committee sent to the newspapers and to
others interested, a circular in which was outlined its general
purpose. In this its aim was shown to be not to determine the
size of grants by the extent of losses, but to help those to re-
* A classification of grants was in use which had been adopted by the Red
Cross Special Bureau. The headings of this classification were "Tools," "House-
hold Re-establishment," "Business Enterprise," "Special Relief," "Transpor-
tation." Special Relief was used to describe a miscellaneous group of grants, and to
prevent its being confused with the later Bureau of Special Relief (see Part II, p.
145), it will hereafter in this study be designated "General Relief."
t The difference between these figures and the figures given in Table 45 on
page 16$ is due to the fact that successive grants of the same nature to a single
applicant were, in making some compilations, treated as a single grant, and in
making others, as successive grants.
108
BEGINNINGS OF REHABILITATION
establish themselves who were unable, even upon a contracted
basis, to do so without assistance.
The wisdom of limiting the size of grants may be questioned
by some, but there is no doubt of its paramount importance in
giving a rough basis for work at a time when it was impossible
to estimate the number of families that would require assistance.
It is hard to conceive of the setting of any other standard than
this. Without it the possibilities for confusion and injustice
were unusually large. The decision was reached not only from
motives of prudence but also from the Committee's sense of re-
sponsibility in dealing with such large amounts of money as would
undoubtedly be placed in its hands. That the feeling of personal
responsibility was large was made evident by other actions of
the Committee.*
After the Department of Camps and Warehouses was
created on August i, 1906, the Rehabilitation Committee f finally
adopted its own policy with reference to families living in the
camps, a policy which as has been seenj had been gradually
taking shape during July. The whole question of the rehabili-
tation of camp families had been considered at a lunch given be-
fore his departure east by Dr. Devine to the members of the
Committee and the staff. The conclusions of this informal con-
ference did not take official form, but they may be accepted as
marking the first step in the formulation of the policy. They
were: That the camps should provide for the immediate needs of
their inmates; that no stated sum could be set aside for the
ultimate use of those who were expected to become permanent
charges; and that no family living in a camp sould be given
rehabilitation aid until it had presented a definite plan for re-
habilitation. It was felt that the effect upon applicants would
be great if once they understood that it was useless for them to
come to the Committee without definite and concrete plans.
* Under somewhat similar circumstances the Chicago Fire Commission
practically limited special relief expenditures to $200 per grant. See Report of the
Chicago Relief and Aid Society of Disbursements of Contributions for the Sufferers
by the Chicago Fire (1874), p. 199.
t Now a part of the Department of Relief and Rehabilitation, which in-
cluded also the Bureau of Special Relief, Bureau of Hospitals, etc.
X See Part I, p. 19 ff.
109
REHABILITATION
The subject of setting aside a sum for the use of the residue came
up again in the latter part of August when Mr. Dohrmann, in
making his estimates of the future disposition of funds, again and
again called attention to the need of reserving large sums to re-
establish camp families.
By August I the issuing of rations had been discontinued.
The Department of Camps and Warehouses had taken over the bulk
of the work of the short-lived Executive Commission, and the Reha-
bilitation Committee had been made responsible, under the gradual
centralization of all relief, for the granting of all aid other than shel-
ter and the relief-giving incidental to camp life. The Rehabilita-
tion Committee was, however, in accordance with the policy it had
adopted, steadying the number of applications made to it by
camp families, by requiring an applicant to give proof that he
had an assured dwelling before his request for household aid was
considered. The immediate necessity was to define the relations
between the Department of Relief and Rehabilitation and the
Department of Camps and Warehouses. On August 6, 1906, the
chairman of the latter department, Rudolph Spreckels, met with
the Rehabilitation Committee, and after prolonged consideration
the following definite agreement was reached:
The Department of Camps and Warehouses agreed:
1. To provide necessary food, clothing, and tent equipment to
residents of camps.
2. To refer to the Rehabilitation Committee only such applicants
as were believed to be prepared to leave the tents and to become undoubt-
edly self-supporting.
3. To make within the limits of the camp all investigations neces-
sary to determine the current needs of the refugees.
4. To inform the Rehabilitation Committee of any applicant who
had shown a readiness to leave the camp and to be rehabilitated.
The Rehabilitation Committee on its part agreed:
1. To follow the notification of an applicant's readiness to leave
a camp by an investigation of its own and to take such action as the inquiry
would warrant.
2. To assume responsibility for supplying all relief outside of the
camps, this full responsibility to be assumed not later than the end of
August.
1 10
Camp No. 25, Richmond District, opened ^November 20, 1906
Camp No. 29, Mission Park, opened November 19, 1906
Two Cottage Camps
6 *
< I
« •
PERIODS OF REHABILITATION WORK
The responsibility of the Department of Relief and Rehabili-
tation for relief outside the camps remained absolute, with the
exception of the housing aid given by the Department of Lands
and Buildings. Mr. Bicknell was appointed to carry out the plan
so far as it related to the Rehabilitation Committee, to which he
later presented his plan for the establishment of a Bureau of Special
Relief under the Department of Relief and Rehabilitation. This
new bureau, which is described elsewhere,* gave aid in kind; the
Rehabilitation Committee gave emergency aid in cash.
2. PERIODS OF REHABILITATION WORK
By way of introduction to the following chapter, a summary
may well be made of the periods of time into which the rehabili-
tation work naturally fell.
May 5 marked the beginning of the rehabilitation work
under the direction of the Red Cross, a period when a force of
workers, trained and untrained, got steadily to work, and when
policies began to be shaped. It may be called the formative
period.
July 7 began the second period. It was the time when the
Rehabilitation Committee of the Finance Committee of Relief and
Red Cross Funds got into the saddle, carrying with it the staff
and adopting the policies of the formative period. It was marked
by the rapid development of district organizations; by the rapid
increase in the number of applications for relief. It may be called
the period of accelerated applications.
August 20 opened the third period, when a decline in the
number ^Df applications was brought about by new restrictions
upon the character of cases eligible for consideration; the time
when the advisability of the district plan of organization was
brought in question. Furthermore, it was the time when grants
were sharply limited by the withholding of the eastern funds. f
This may be called the period of arrested progress.
November 4 began the fourth period, when the centralized
plan was in force and when a persistent effort was made gradually
*See Part II, p. 145 ff.
t See Part I, p. 99 ff.
I 1 1
REHABILITATION
to decrease the responsibilities carried by the Rehabilitation
Committee, it was the period of centralized effort.
April 9, 1907, marked the beginning of the fifth and last
period, which closed June 30, 1907, with the taking over of the
rehabilitation work by the Associated Charities. It was a time
of rapid discharge of committees and of readjustments, — the
period of withdrawal.
112
I
II
METHODS OF WORK*
1. THE DISTRICT SYSTEM
BEFORE the formation of the Rehabilitation Committee the
Associated Charitiesf had assumed responsibiHty, under the
Red Cross, for the investigation of applicants for rehabiHta-
tion. During July the Associated Charities under the direction of
the Rehabilitation Committee organized in each of the seven civil
sections of the city a committee of persons who were related
more or less to the previous charity work of the locality. Each
section or district office was supervised by a chairmanf under
whom was an agent with a corps of visitors and clerks. By
securing in addition to the local charity workers the services of
several experienced workers from states east of the Sierras, it
was possible, as has been already stated, to have an experienced
agent in each district. Four sections were in charge of agents
drawn from the outside; three of agents with experience in the
San Francisco Associated Charities.
The month of July was one that called for the exercise
of discretion and tact, as it was a time when a large untried force
had to be organized to visit families. A general superintendent
of district work was appointed to bring about unity of ideals
and standards in the sections and to cultivate a sympathetic
understanding of the system on the part of all concerned in it.
The position was held during July by one of the eastern workers
and after August i by the general secretary of the Associated
Charities. The section committees, mentioned above, made a
strong and interested group of volunteers.
* The section on methods in Appendix I, p. 406 ff., supplements this chap-
ter. It is more detailed than is this portion, and is important to those who are
responsible for organizing a relief force.
t See Part I, p. 14.
t These chairmen were the same men who had been serving since May as
the civilian chairmen in their several sections.
8 113
REHABILITATION
In one of the sections was to be found a group of workers
who knew their neighborhood thoroughly, — a physician who had
done active work among the poorer people previous to April i8,
the president of a settlement, and the priest. These met together
each day with others to go over the case work of the investigators
who were studying the individual needs of refugees. Nowhere
else could one get such an impression of the cosmopolitan char-
acter of San Francisco. The names of the investigators showed
their origin, — Italian, Spanish, English, Scotch. These could
speak to the refugees in their own tongues. One of the investi-
gators was a trained nurse who had been at work in the neighbor-
hood; another, an artist who had been the year before as far away
from the Pacific Coast as the Albert Nyanza; the third, a student
of economics. In still another section were to be found as in-
vestigators a force of college students. Seven of them were
from Stanford University. They gave devoted service from April
until the university opened in the autumn. They camped in the
outer office and would work from early in the morning until late
in the evening. They were often visiting at six in the morning and
were to be found in the office writing reports at ten in the evening.
Several teachers, a physician, and a trained nurse made up the rest
of the group, which was guided at first by one of the most active and
devoted local workers, a probation officer of the juvenile court.
In another section one felt the distinctive mark to be
catholicity. The chairman of this committee was a Presby-
terian minister and the assistant to the agent was a Unitarian
minister who had given up his charge to devote himself for a year
to the charitable work of the city. A Hebrew whose strong
personal influence counted for much in dealing with the refugees
of his faith; another Hebrew, a woman, who as a volunteer had
done most important service in securing work for the refugees;
an active worker in women's clubs; and other men and women
who had had experience as teachers and in business, completed
this section committee.
In so large a group of investigators, brought into service at
a time of high pressure, there were necessarily to be found many
attitudes of mind toward the work and varying degrees of readi-
ness to be instructed. What surprised those who had the task of
114
THE DISTRICT SYSTEM
fitting the visitors to their work was their adaptability. The
committees met at short intervals to review, one by one, the
stories and recommendations of the investigators, and to make
their own decisions to be submitted for final action to the Reha-
bilitation Committee at headquarters.
The investigating force of the Rehabilitation Committee
reached its highest number in August, 1 906, when it numbered 96
persons on full and nine on half time. Sixty-five other persons were
also employed, principally as clerks and messengers. The Commit-
tee from the start took the sensible ground that as far as possible
there should be investigation of each applicant. The record card
used in the sections was the second registration card, which as the
reader knows, superseded the one adopted in the initial relief
period.*
The second registration was undertaken by the stafi^ of
workers gathered together by the American National Red Cross,
who worked from the seven civil sections and recorded their in-
vestigations on the improved cards described below. These cards,
which were kept on file at headquarters, were, from the time of the
second registration to the end of the rehabilitation work, used by
the various committees. They held the facts as to an individual's
own expectation of providing shelter for himself and family.
Later these cards served to measure the degree of success each
applicant had made in carrying out his own plan.
The second registration, though not to the same degree as
the first, failed in completeness, so that many persons who applied
later, not only to the Rehabilitation Committee but to the many
other committees and departments, were given relief by those
who were in ignorance of what help had already been extended.
If registration had been accurate and complete from the be-
ginning much saving of money and time would have been efi'ected,
and, of immeasurably greater importance, much better rehabili-
tation work could have been done. A thorough system of regis-
tration would have been opposed by many of the relief workers,
as well as by the refugees, but the importance of securing, in
beginning such a work, an accurate registration of names and
references and of entering on the dated cards the facts of aid re-
* See Part I, p. 49. See cards in Appendix II, pp. 428 and 4291
••5
REHABILITATION
quested and given, cannot be over-estimated. The outstanding
need of the later rehabiHtation work was for a registration so in-
clusive that it might serve as a general confidential exchange of
information* of the sums of relief given and the efforts made to
rehabilitate individuals or families. One of those who had partial
supervision of enumeration for the first registration has said that
a more carefully prepared card and a rigid supervision of investi-
gators could have secured the desired results even if the investi-
gators were untrained. The lack of a well ordered bureau for
confidential exchange of information led to serious duplication of
inquiry and of grants.
But to return to a consideration of the record card. It
provided for a graphic presentation of the salient economic features
of each family. When rightly filled in it showed the total present
income of the family, its physical condition and the previous
occupation of the breadwinner, the sum of its losses and its present
resources. It gave a picture of the family's former or present
relations to its church, its lodge, its employers, its plan for re-
habilitation, and the investigator's estimate of this plan or the
investigator's alternative plan. Each visitor who had not had
previous training as an investigator was given careful direction
as to how an investigation should be made. Each was instructed
to explain to the families that what was being aimed at was to
find a way out which would be a real way out. Relief that had
been already given was emergent, temporary. But now the
Committee was anxious to learn of those who with a fair grant
would be able to re-establish themselves.
In compiling the statistical abstract of applications for
Chapter IV of this part of the Relief Survey no attempt was made
to ascertain what references were seen or corresponded with,
except for the business application cases. These were controlled
by much stricter regulations than were the other applications.
It is impossible, therefore, to state accurately the number of appli-
cations that were superficially investigated by visits to the appli-
cants only. It is probably true that a study of the applications
for household rehabilitation would show that comparatively super-
* Registration as a means of holding and securing information was in use by
various committees other than the Rehabilitation Committee.
I l6
THE DISTRICT SYSTEM
ficial^ investigations had been made although there had usually
been some attempt to corroborate the applicants' stories by calling
for a general letter of recomm^endation or one written directly
to the Committee. Letters from ministers bulked large in this
correspondence. The experience of the Rehabilitation Committee,
it can be most positively stated, confirmed that of the special relief
committee of the Chicago fire that such recommendations are
valueless in the vast majority of cases. It is sufficient to state
here, as this question will be brought up later in the discussion of
the Committee's relation to the auxiliary societies,* that the
Committee learned quite early in its career that some of the clergy
of the city had had manifolded a stereotyped form of recommen-
dation to give to any one who might apply.
The method of investigation in force would have been in-
sufficient if it had been thought necessary to inquire closely into
the moral character of the applicants. What the family had to
say about its previous income; what its present income was; what
its plans were and how it hoped with the aid of a grant to carry
out these plans, — these with the visitor's observations gave a
sort of rough-and-ready gauge. There was, of course, a certain
amount of deception, but the field investigations made later by
the Relief Survey showed that the percentage of grants made
upon actually fraudulent representations was comparatively small.
Plans for rehabilitation that were inherently weak or confused
or unwise had to be guarded against. The grant desideratum
was practical definiteness. Illustrations of what were considered
to be definite, what indefinite plans, are incidentally presented
under the chapters dealing with particular forms of rehabilitation.
It is well at this point to state that after October 12, 1906, before
a grant for rehabilitation or aid for furniture could be obtained,
an application had to be made to the Rehabilitation Committee
on a printed form.f
The applications for tools were made the subject of a com-
paratively superficial investigation. Transportation cases were
subjected to a gradual rise in the standard of inquiry. In the
ca^e of ''general relief," which included the permanent care of
aged or invalid persons and of unsupported children, medical co-
*See Part II, p. 137 if. f For reproduction of form see Appendix II, p. 435.
117
REHABILITATION
operation was generally called for. Applications for emergent
relief led to no extended investigation. The housing applications,
as will appear,* were subjected to special forms of inquiry.
Applications were received at the seven section oflfices at
any hour of the day, as well as at the central office of the Asso-
ciated Charities. The rule was, theoretically, to receive no applica-
tions at the office of the Rehabilitation Committee; but so many
applications, some of which called for immediate investigation and
action, were referred directly to the Committee, that from one to
four interviewers had to be held at the central office to attend to
them. It would have been ill-advised during July and August to
limit either the hours or places at which applications could be made.
Any limitation might in some instances have caused actual dis-
tress. The magnitude of the task did not in itself, save in excep-
tional circumstances, delay the giving of emergent relief, as special
arrangements were made for expediting emergency cases.
Before recommendations were brought to the members of
the Rehabilitation Committee for decision they were read by
trusted employes of the Committee in order that apparent in-
justices resulting from the varying standards of the different
section committees might be done awa\' with. The Committee
itself established rough standards to govern its decisions. For
household rehabilitation, for instance, its standard adopted after
a careful employe had visited several furniture companies to
learn the range of prices, was based upon a rate of S30 a room for
each of the minimum number of rooms which would be required
for an individual family. Certain fixed rules were also adopted
with reference to business rehabilitation.! There was no little
criticism of an intermediate step having to be taken between the
passage of records from section committees to the Rehabilitation
Committee. During the latter part of the second period, which
ended in August, 1906, some members of the Rehabilitation Com-
mittee itself were inclined to doubt the wisdom of the plan. Never-
theless, the opinion of the majority of the Committee was that
its rough standardizing was a great time saver. The reviewers
* See Part I, pp. 22-23 and 69 ff.; Part IV, Housing Rehabilitation, p. 21 1
ff.; and Appendix I, p. 417.
t For full discussion see Part HI, Business Rehabilitation, p. 171 ff.
118
3
JO
5 >
9
9
O '5
3
5 J
> > > »
THE DISTRICT SYSTEM
exercised no discretionary authority. They were indeed willing
to present any case, in any form, to the Committee if a section
committee insisted upon it. A justification of the plan lies in
the fact that when a case went directly to the Committee from a
section, almost without exception it was sent back. The review-
ers served simply as advisers to the section committees. They
had in mind the broad lines of policy that had been marked out
by the Rehabilitation Committee and were in many instances able
to save from one to two days in the reaching of a final decision
as to a grant. An explanation made by the trained reviewer to a
district messenger, an agent, or Committee member, was often-
times much more acceptable than would have been Committee
action which reversed a section decision.
Another subject that called for anxious debate was as to
the degree of power that should be given by the Rehabilitation
Committee to the section committees to make grants of money
for emergency need. On July 12, the Committee resolved that
in an emergency case a requisition might be made on the treasurer
for a sum not to exceed $50, provided the request were signed by
two members of the section committee. The Committee reserved
the right to review such grants and at any time to withdraw the
privilege from the sections. At a meeting held a day or so after-
ward this matter was reconsidered and laid over because several
members of the Committee expressed themselves forcibly as op-
posed to any division of responsibility. At a joint meeting of the
Rehabilitation Committee with the members of the section com-
mittees, held on July 19, 1906, the question of placing small funds
in the hands of the section committees was again informally
considered. Some of the section members strongly urged this
plan and cited illustrations of necessary delays incident upon the
ordinary procedure, — illustrations which proved that the delay
was a source of embarrassment. As a member of the Committee
recently said, a great amount of unpleasantness was caused by
complaints of delay in comparatively small matters. Objections
still being made by some members, the Committee asked the
Associated Charities to present a plan, but though such a plan
was drawn up it was never presented for action to the Committee
because of the objections that were raised against it
1 19
REHABILITATION
This source of friction was removed in the course of events.
When the Bureau of Special Relief* was estabhshed on August 15,
1906, appHcations for emergency reHef in kind were referred to it.
On the closing of the section headquarters, Committee I of the
centralized systemf was prepared to give small money grants
on short notice. The Associated Charities, from almost the be-
ginning of the rehabilitation work, also stood ready to make
small gifts of money to persons in need, or to make immediate pur-
chase of necessities. It was from time to time reimbursed for these
expenditures, though no formal arrangement was made by which
it could draw on any regular fund for petty cash expenditures.
Anyone who has had experience in a charity organization
society which has district offices knows that the common rule
is to empower a district superintendent or committee to make
emergency expenditures of comparatively limited amounts and
to draw for reimbursement on the society's general relief fund.
Such special expenditures are subject to audit. The principle
underlying them is at stated periods to have their issuance made
the subject of a careful review by the general secretary, the dis-
trict supervisor or some other central office official. In case of con-
tinuous indiscreet expenditures the question raised is not whether
the power shall be withdrawn but whether there shall be some
change in the district force or some calling of volunteers to account.
In other words, the principle has been recognized that though there
can be no division of final responsibility as to expenditures, as a
matter of practical efficiency, districts must be given a certain
amount of discretion in the making of small emergency grants.
The extent of the task of investigating and reviewing cases
can be measured by the following showing. When the Rehabili-
tation Committee settled to its task on July 7, 1906, the formative
period of rehabilitation work closed. The second period was
inaugurated by public announcement of the Rehabilitation Com-
mittee's plans. During July, 1906, the work increased by leaps
and bounds. Though the Committee might wish to feel its way
there was no time for deliberate action as the members had simply
to speed up in order to keep ahead of the applications awaiting
action. By August i the Committee had passed upon 3,000
* See Part II, p. 145 ff. t See Part II, p. 125.
120
THE DISTRICT SYSTEM
applications. On that same date there were about 9,000 appHca-
tions in the sections which either were awaiting investigation
or had been partially or fully investigated, but awaited action by
the section committees. The original estimate of families that
would need rehabilitation was 15,000. To pass on one-fifth of
the whole may be considered to be fairly good progress for the
first three weeks of a committee's real work. During the next
twelve days, as the news of the grants began to circulate widely,
came the high-water mark of applications. On August 13, at the
request of the chairman of the Committee, a complete return was
made which showed that there were then 8,916 applications pend-
ing, and that the average rate of applications was somewhat over
200 a day. The danger of swamping the work was evident.
At the time when the number of applications for rehabili-
tation was heaviest came the uncertainty as to whether funds
would be available. The chairman of the Rehabilitation Com-
mittee, therefore, at an important meeting held on August 12,
requested members to present a definite plan as to the amount of
money that they would request the Executive Committee to set
aside for rehabilitation. Accordingly, on August 16, the follow-
ing estimate was presented as the minimum amount that would
be required for carrying on the work of the Department:
TABLE 29. — ESTIMATE OF AMOUNT REQUIRED FOR CARRYING ON
WORK OF RELIEF, PRESENTED AUGUST 1 6, 1906^
Branch of work
Amount required
Rehabilitation
Hospitals
Industrial Centers
Special Relief (General Relief)
Transportation
Administration
$1,250,000
1 00,000
1 5,000
250,000
10,000
100,000
Total
$1,725,000
a On August II, 1906, the balance sheet of the San Francisco Relief and
Red Cross Funds showed that a total of $5,599,466.02 had been received by that
body; that deducting expenditures and immediate liabilities there was an actual
cash balance of $2,105,309.74. This total was not all available for the uses of the
Rehabilitation Committee but was the only source of support for the Department
of Camps and Warehouses, the Department of Lands and Buildings, both of which
required large sums, and all other activities of the Relief Corporation.
121
REHABILITATION
What the estimate for rehabiHtation was based upon it is
difficult to say, though the original estimate of $1,500,000 may
have again been in mind. By August 16, applications to the num-
ber of 4,635 had been passed upon by the Committee, involving
a total disbursement of a little over $300,000 and an average grant
of about $80 a case. About 10,000 applications were pending and
there were still three or four thousand families in the camps who
would eventually have to be assisted by the Committee. Upon
this basis a total of $1,120,000 would be required, and this may
have been the basis for the estimate. Prospective applications
from persons living outside the camps were not taken into account.
No action was taken when the estimate was presented, but
at the meeting of the Committee on August 20 the chairman
again presented a detailed report regarding funds available for
the Corporation. After a very extended discussion it was agreed
that it would not be safe for the Rehabilitation Committee to
take further action until it knew something more definite re-
garding the amount of money it would receive and the amount
that would be called for by the applications on file. The Com-
mittee decided therefore to notify the sections, the societies that
were authorized to investigate applications for relief, and the
press, that after August 20 no more applications for rehabilitation
and relief would be received until all the cases pending had been
investigated and disposed of. After this date no oificial notice
was ever given of the readiness of the Committee to again receive
applications.
Applications for medical aid, and in special instances for
food, were to be received, however, as before, at the section stations.
This action, which was momentous, inaugurated the third period
of work,* which extended from August 20 to November 4, 1906.
A large number of applications was received later and all the
applications on file were in the course of time duly considered
and made whenever necessary the subject of grants, the amount
of money used for rehabilitation being in the end considerably
larger than was estimated. August 20 is the sinister date which
appears and reappears in the later chapters, when the subject
of delay in the rehabilitation work is discussed.
* See Part II, p. in.
122
THE DISTRICT SYSTEM
The superintendent of the RehabiHtation Committee at
that time prepared detailed instructions for the force at the main
and at the section offices. These instructions were adopted later
by the sub-committees of the centralized system. The instruc-
tions provided that future applications and those pending but
not yet investigated, for medicine, medical aid, special diet, food,
tools, and sewing machines, be referred to the Bureau of Special
Relief, and that they be considered with reference to the relative
disability of the applicants, in the following order:
1. Aged and infirm.
2. Sick and temporarily disabled.
3. Unsupported women and children (families without male
breadwinners and with the burden of support resting heavily on the women
or children).
4. Families insufficiently supported (breadwinners unable to earn
enough to provide a surplus for rehabilitation or enough even to pay run-
ning expenses).
After the four classes of cases had been investigated and
reported to the Rehabilitation Committee for final action, the
sections were to investigate the remaining applications. This
latter group of applications* was to be divided into three classes:
1. Household rehabilitation.
2. Special building propositions not covered by the Department
of Lands and Buildings.
3. Miscellaneous cases.
The immediate attention of the Rehabilitation Committee,
now that the general drawing of checks was suspended, was con-
fined to those applications already on file in which emergent
action was absolutely necessary or in which grants had been
promised provided certain conditions were complied with by the
applicants. All applications for business rehabilitation were to
be laid aside for a time with the understanding that if the Com-
mittee later secured sufficient means they should be investigated
and reported on. The Committee indicated that unless dis-
ablement or sickness were involved it would be most reluctant
* All applications made by refugees living outside of San Francisco were
considered by the whole committee.
123
REHABILITATION
to consider any family to be in urgent need if in it there were a
male breadwinner earning reasonable wages.
The plan of the Rehabilitation Committee was to go over
the whole mass of applications and then draw checks in favor
of the first four classes. This marked a distinct limitation upon
its work. By vote of the Committee on August 30, 1906, it was
decided to settle at once all unpaid grants that had been approved
on August 20. By September 20 accumulated applications had
been investigated and the Committee was ready to pass upon them.
it is not clear from the records just when the bars were lifted and
when checks were issued as heretofore upon all classes of cases
approved by the Committee. There appears to have been no
formal action in this matter. It is interesting to note that on
August 18 the total disbursements recorded were §356,773.75 and
the total applications acted upon 5,241. By September 20, 1906,
the total disbursements amounted to $573,337.91 and the total
cases acted upon were 10,374.
2. THE CENTRALIZED SYSTEM
In October, 1906, there was a radical change of method. On
September 27, the Rehabilitation Committee was notified by the
Corporation that all the sections except Section 1 1 would close by
the end of September. As the section oifices closed, members of
the paid and voluntary staffs were drawn into the work of the
central office, the paid workers to continue as investigators or
clerks, the members of the district committees to serve as an
auxiliary committee to the Rehabilitation Committee for the re-
view of cases. These were steps preliminary to a centralizing of
the work. On October 1 1 , when the chairman presented his plan
for a division of the Rehabilitation Committee into sub-commit-
tees, 18,196 applications altogether had been passed upon. At
close of business, October 11, 1906, the bookkeeper of the Com-
mittee had handled these 18,196 cases and had paid out on them
^42,076.21.
The plan for the centralized system was presented by a
sub-committee consisting of the chairman and the superintendent,
who was the secretary of the Associated Charities and responsible
for the issuing of instructions to the district workers. It was to
124
THE CENTRALIZED SYSTEM
create six sub-committees. The Rehabilitation Committee was
to be drawn on to provide a chairman for each and the former
section committees to provide the membership. The numbers
of the sub-committees and their respective fields of work were
as follows :
SUB-COMMITTEE FIELD OF WORK OF SUB-COMMITTEE
I. Temporary Aid and Transportation.
II. Relief of Aged and Infirm, Unsupported Chil-
dren, and Friendless Girls.
III. Relief of Unsupported or Partially Supported
Families.
IV. Occupations for Women and Confidential Cases.
V. Housing and Shelter.
VI. Business Rehabilitation.
VII. Furniture Grants to heads of families employed
but unable to furnish their homes.
VIII. Relief in Deferred and Neglected Cases.
Committee VII was formed on January i6, 1907; Committee
VIII on November 17, 1906. Each was considered as a sub-
committee of the older sub-committees. Two of the six secretaries
already appointed served the new committees. It may be noted
here that five of these six secretaries had had previous experience
in charity organization work.
The following members* of the Rehabilitation Committee
were appointed chairmen of the respective sub-committees:
SUB-COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN
I. O. K. Gushing
II. Dr. John Gallwey
III. Archdeacon J . A. Emery t
IV. Archdeacon J. A. Emery
V. Rev. D. O. Crowley
VI. C. F. Leege
The methods of investigation under the new system were
the same as under the old, but the change involved radical dif-
ferences in treatment. It is generally acknowledged that the
* Two of these served as chairmen of Committees VII and VIII.
t Succeeded by A. Haas.
125
REHABILITATION
district system was the only one practicable in the early days,
when transportation facilities were so limited. The physical
difficulties that would have been involved in attempting to make
an investigation from one center was not the only, if indeed the
most important factor that led social leaders to determine upon
the district plan. The primary reason was that the seven civil
sections were known to the people when they wished to follow
their early applications for clothing and other emergent needs by
applications for rehabilitation. The social investigation was made
to fit the civil section plan, which was based upon the theory that
by working from district centers it was possible to gain more
accurate knowledge of the actual needs of families and to have
such brought more quickly to the attention of the workers and be
followed more surely by helpful recommendations than would
be the case if need were relieved and recommendations made by
one or several central committees. In short, it was believed that
the district plan of the larger charity organization societies could
be well adapted to the rehabilitation work and would give it
greater firmness, accuracy, and swiftness of action. As it turned
out, however, under the district plan the hoped-for swiftness of
action was not achieved, which was one of the reasons for the
change to the centralized system. After the change the average
period of time lapsing between application and grant was con-
siderably reduced; however, this is partly to be accounted for
by the fact that after October, 1906, the Rehabilitation Com-
mittee acted more rigorously on the policy adopted August 20
to limit the number of applications received.
During the first five months of the great relief work the
most destitute had made application. This fact, and the further
fact that prompt action was made possible through the creation of
the Bureau of Special Relief, justified in a measure the change
to the centralized system. The advantages of the centralized
system as developed in San Francisco may be said to be that
under it the attention of a group of workers was confined to
the consideration of a specific class of grants. Such limitations
brought expertness and a surer standardizing of the grants within
a class. The disadvantage is that with the gain in expertness
came a loss in general appreciation of the need of the individual
126
THE CENTRALIZED SYSTEM
case.. The individual members of the RehabiHtation Committee
worked separately as chairmen of the sub-committees. They
were brought much less to consider in common the reason for
approving or refusing to approve the grants called for by the
several section commjttees. In the earlier period some of the
members in daily conference performed this important duty.
Members of the Committee themselves believed that they lost
something of the broad view of the situation and the correlation
between grants when each came to have his own particular field
of activity. Although they developed as specialists, they were
bound by no strong unifying force.
Some of the members, and other persons experienced in the
work, consider the division of cases to have been a weakness that
should be reckoned with by those who may deal with similar
problems in the future. Important questions of policy were of
course discussed at meetings of the Rehabilitation Committee,
which in the busy season were called twice a week; but after all,
it was general questions of policy, not individual cases, which
were then considered. The important thing was for the Com-
mittee to have on any given day a knowledge of just how the
grants in each department ran; to learn by a comparative survey
whether, in view of the total sum of money which the Committee
expected to handle, the amounts being granted by the different
departments, case by case, ordinary case after ordinary case,
were too small or too large.
Another weakness of the centralized system, and a serious
one, was that it necessitated the crossing of each other's paths by
the various sub-committees. It was to be expected that by no
imaginable classification of applications short of an arbitrary
division along geographical lines, could confusion be avoided.
As all charity organization workers know, an application for a
specific form of aid may upon investigation indicate that a totally
different form of relief is required. In the first two months,
under the centralized system, there was much referring of appli-
cations from committee to committee, as new or changed needs
were revealed; but in December, to prevent delays, it was de-
cided that the committee to whom an application was first as-
127
REHABILITATION
signed should see it through to the end, no matter what form of
rehabilitation was found to be required.
Considering the blurring of hard and fast lines that this
decision entailed, together with the crossing of paths incident
to the division of work, it is not surprising that the development
of group specialists was by no means as complete as was anti-
cipated. The sub-committees found it impossible to keep to
the spheres of work outlined. There was, however, considerable
variation in treatment by the different sub-committees. In the
nature of the case, the first four committees had largely to do
with applications for ''general relief and hence of necessity crossed
paths more than the remaining committees. Among the different
fields of activity, housing stands distinctive as being the most
highly specialized. On the other hand, business rehabilitation
and general relief were so generally cared for by the first four com-
mittees that all of them might well claim joint tenancy of these
fields.
During October the policy had been adopted of making no
further grants to able-bodied single people,* to heads of families
capable of supporting those dependent on them, or to applicants
to start in a business that called for a special license or that had
to be put under special police supervision. This last exception
was made to prohibit grants for saloons. On October 12, the
Rehabilitation Committee learned officially that business re-
habilitation might be resumed, as the New York Chamber of
Commerce on October 2 had resolved to transfer $500,000 to
the Corporation, with the proviso that the money be used for
"the rehabilitation of those sufferers who by reason of the dis-
aster have been deprived of the use of stocks or goods, utensils,
tools, implemeats of labor, etc., and thus to help them to estab-
lish themselves in their professions or trades.''
The question of who should be responsible for making
final decisions as to grants was reopened in the beginning of the
period of centralization, and on November i it was finally de-
termined that emergency cases that involved an expenditure of
less than $50 might be approved by the chairman, or in his absence,
by the vice-chairman of a sub-committee, provided the action were
* A reiteration of former policy.
128
Barber shop and shack constructed of bodies
A drinking place
Early Business Ventures
c
c. ( .
(
I
t •
c
f «
THE CENTRALIZED SYSTEM
reported by the vice-chairman to the chairman if the former had
acted in the absence of his superior; that grants for amounts
under $500 might be approved by the chairman of a sub-com-
mittee; and that grants for amounts of $500 or more must be ap-
proved by at least two members of the Rehabihtation Committee
or by the chairman and two members of a sub-committee, provided
in the latter case the action was reported to and entered on the
minutes of the meetings of the Rehabihtation Committee. The last
restriction led to frequent drawing of checks to the amount of
^499. Later the Committee made special provision for the grant-
ing of money for loans* so as not to embarrass the work of its
sub-committee on housing.
The fourth period of the rehabilitation work, November 4,
1906, to April 8, 1907,1 was marked by fluctuation, the tide of
applications sometimes increasing and sometimes decreasing.
When the six sub-committees were organized it was assumed that
a normal family with one or more able-bodied breadwinners should
not then be in need of assistance in furniture and other household
goods. Labor of all kinds was in great demand and there was no
reason why families should not themselves secure for cash or credit
sufficient furniture to start housekeeping. No provision^ was
made, therefore, for grants of furniture or other household goods
except as called for by the working of Sub-committees 1, 1 1, and III.
As soon, however, as the new committees got under way, there was
considerable discussion as to the need of some committee to act on
applications from heads of families for furniture. It was decided,
early in November, to receive applications from heads of families
who were steadily employed but who were not earning enough to
furnish their homes except by incurring a burdensome debt.
This action was rescinded later because there was no machinery
* The sub-committees could at their discretion make loans instead of grants,
where there was strong likelihood of repayment. Loans had been made since the
beginning of the work, but for some time prior to November had been discouraged.
t See Part II, p. 1 11.
t Late Committee decisions. — December $, igo6. That in making applica-
tions to reopen a case, except on account of sickness, the applicant should be re-
quired to explain in writing the reason for his request.
January 24, igoj. That grants as a rule should not be made for funeral
expenses. When in exceptional instances such grants were made they should be
limited as far as possible.
9 129
REHABILITATION
for receiving such applications and because there were other
forms of appHcation that indicated a greater need. Not until
January i6, 1907, was provision made to receive applications tor
so-called "special furniture grants/' which were passed on by the
chairmen of two of the original sub-committees. On January
17, notice that applications for aid in refurnishing homes would
be received was given in the San Francisco newspapers.*
During this fourth period it became apparent that future
applicants must be made to realize that what they were asking
for was ordinary relief. On February 13, 1907, therefore, the
superintendent, who it must be borne in mind was also secretary
of the Associated Charities,! was authorized to put the work in
the application bureau on a relief basis. A circular was issued
which stated that no application would be received except on a
purely relief basis; that is, applications would be received only
from families placed unavoidably in a position where they could
not support themselves and whose need would be met in ordinary
times through one of the regular charitable organizations.
As a further result of the mid-winter resolution the scope
of the relief work was narrowed still more definitely. Three
reasons given for a limitation of scope were:
1 . That there was less than $2,000,000 in the funds, a
large part of which would be called for by the applications for
housing and other relief already under consideration. .
2. That a considerable amount of money would have to be
reserved to meet the expenses incurred by the other departments
and bureaus, which included medicines for the use of the patients
in the hospitals and in homes for the aged.
* REHABILITATION COMMITTEE
HELP TOWARD THE REFURNISHING OF HOMES
Applications will be received from families who are self-supporting and who
have suffered material loss from the disaster. The income and present resources
must be insufficient to enable the family to get necessary household furniture
within a reasonable time without incurring burdensome debt. No application
under this head will be received from anyone to whom the committee has already
made a grant.
Applications Will be Received by Mail Only. Write for blank to Gough
and Geary streets. Mark envelope "Furniture Application." No Application
Will be Received After January 31, 1907.
fSee Part II, p. 124.
130
THE CENTRALIZED SYSTEM
3. That the then prosperous condition of San Francisco
precluded any legitimate need for further general relief distribu-
tion. The essential points, to repeat in part what has already
been written, in a notice that was issued for the use of the sub-
committees and employes, were:
1. Emergency cases. New applications involving urgent need for
relief in kind should be referred direct to the Bureau of Special Relief.
Applications on file requiring an immediate money grant should be referred
to a sub-committee consisting of the chairmen of Sub-committees I, IV,
and VI. Applications for emergency checks should be made in writing
by the chairman of the committee in which the application was filed.
2. Necessity for economy. Close economy should be urged on the
ground that there would be no money to expend in excess of the amounts
actually required.
3. Standards for adjusting special furniture grants. No grants
should be made unless it were evident that it would be difficult for the
family to secure furniture within a reasonable time without incurring
heavy debt.
4. Standards for adjusting grants in Sub-committees /, //, and III.
All applications should be considered on a strictly relief basis; no grant
should be made unless it would enable a family to become self-supporting.
5. Payments in ordinary cases should be temporarily suspended.
No further checks should be issued except in emergency cases until all
the sub-committees had passed on all the pending cases. Applications
should be tabulated and final decision reached as to what action should be
recommended.
The fact that the Rehabilitation Committee had entered
upon the fifth and last period of its work is sharply marked
by the discharge on April 4, 1907, of all sub-committees, except
Committee V, the important housing committee. The fifth period
is also marked by the fact that it coincides with the ending of the
first year after the disaster, and that it properly inaugurates the
definite establishment of the work on a purely relief basis.*
From the beginning of April, 1907, to the end of July, action
was taken in a fairly large number of cases. The Rehabilitation
Committee returned to the practice in vogue before November,
1906, of considering such current applications as did not naturally
* See Part V, Relief Work of the Associated Charities, p. 279 ff.
REHABILITATION
go to either the housing or the confidential committee. By May,
1907, the number of cases to be daily disposed of had fallen from
200 to 25, and the average number of daily applications had de-
creased to a marked extent. The steady drop in the number of
applications meant to the Committee that its work had reached
the stage when it could be undertaken wholly by the Associated
Charities.
The Associated Charities, as well as other San Francisco
charitable agencies, was financially crippled because the fire had
affected more seriously the class that ordinarily contributes to
charitable societies than any other class in the community.
The general subject of grants to institutions or societies not deal-
ing with families in their homes is considered in a separate section,
but the subject of grants to the Associated Charities fitly belongs
in this chapter because to it fell the work that so far had been
done directly by the Rehabilitation Committee with the steady
co-operation of the Associated Charities' force of paid and volun-
teer workers. The mass of the population was on a fairly satis-
factory economic basis, but it was wellknown that for some time
to come the charity work of the city would be very heavy.
On May 18, 1907, a decision was reached by the Rehabili-
tation Committee which was the fruition of much anxious dis-
cussion. Its conclusions were that as ^186,850 remained of the
sum of $500,000 which as originally planned was to be used to re-
establish the charitable organizations in the city, $145,000 of this
amount, in accordance with the recommendation made by the
charity advisory committee, should be entrusted to the Reha-
bilitation Committee to be allotted by it to certain of the charit-
able and benevolent organizations.* The Associated Charities
was asked to invite a conference of representatives of the St. Vin-
cent de Paul Society, the German Benevolent Society, and the
Hebrew Board of Relief, formally to present to the Rehabilitation
Committee a practical plan for the administration of the general
relief work of the city. On May 30, 1907, the Rehabilitation
Committee was notified by the president of the Associated Chari-
ties that the office staff of the society was to be withdrawn from
the service of the Rehabilitation Committee. The proposal to
* See The Rehabilitation of Institutions, Part II, p. 141 ff.
132
WITHDRAWAL
withdraw was approved but the society was asked to leave the
date of withdrawal open until definite plans for future relief work
could be perfected.
. 3. WITHDRAWAL
June 30, 1907, marks the close of the fifth period, when the
withdrawal actually took effect. On July 18, 1907, the Cor-
poration made an appropriation of $5,000 to the Associated
Charities for the month of July, 1907, to be expended under the
direction of the Rehabilitation Committee, subject to the fol-
lowing conditions:
1. The cost of administration should not exceed $1,000 a month.
2. The following classes of persons should be assisted to remove
their cottages from the camps:
(a) Women who were supporting families.
(b) Families in which there had been severe illness or in
which the breadwinner on account of some infirmity was unable to pro-
vide a home but was able to maintain one.
3. The grant to an individual case should not exceed $150 and
ordinarily should not be more than $100.
4. The Rehabilitation Committee should refer all new applications
to the Associated Charities; the Associated Charities at its discretion
should refer back to the Committee for action such cases as were not
included in the above classification.
5. The Associated Charities should nominate a committee repre-
sentative of the principal charitable organizations of the city to pass
upon applications for assistance in housing rehabilitation.
6. Monthly statements should be made of the assistance granted.
As the Bureau of Special Relief had closed its work June 15,
1907, the Associated Charities assumed entire control of the re-
lief work.
Before the end of July the Associated Charities had or-
ganized a committee, called for by section 5 of the above require-
ments, on which were representatives from its own society, the
St. Vincent de Paul Society, the German General Benevolent
Society, the Hebrew Board of Relief, and the Telegraph Hill
Neighborhood Association. At the same time a form letter was
133
REHABILITATION
issued by the Rehabilitation Committee which notified applicants
that they must apply directly to the Associated Charities.
The appropriations varied from month to month, but the
plan as a whole remained for one year practically unchanged.
There was, however, one concession: the Associated Charities was
permitted in a limited number of cases to draw on the appropria-
tion for aid to families that had not been burned out, but in which
there was severe illness or an incapacitated breadwinner.
When on July i, 1908, the Bureau of Hospitals closed its
work, the work of the Associated Charities was further enlarged
by the carrying into effect of the following suggestions by Miss
Felton, the general secretary of the Associated Charities:
*Mn regard to the care of the sick, I respectfully suggest the follow-
ing plan:
"That for the month of July no appropriation for the hospital
work be made in advance, but that the bills presented at the end of the
month, after being approved, be paid from the Relief Funds. By the
first of August the number of patients in the hospitals will be very mater-
ially reduced, and I think that a grant of $1,500 per month will carry the
hospital work. This would allow us 30 patients at an average cost of $50.
By placing all our children in the Children's Hospital at the rate of $25 per
month and many of our maternity cases in the Lying-in Hospital at the
rate of $7.00 per week, and by taking advantage of the sanitariums for
some of our cases in a more or less convalescent state, we can easily bring
the cost down to $50 per patient. I think it would be advisable not to
restrict the grant to the care of patients in the hospitals, but to make it
for the care of the sick outside of their homes. This would enable us to
economize in many cases by boarding out, in private families, convales-
cents who might thus be cared for at a lower rate than in the hospitals.
This applies especially to babies and little children. We can also make
use of Miss de Turbeville's and Miss Ashe's Home in appropriate cases, I
think, at a rate of $1 5 per month.
"I figure that a grant of $4,500 per month will carry the hospital
work, relief in the form of groceries and medicines, the special money
grants under $50, and the administration expenses of our offices. Mr.
Bogart and I have gone over the expenses very carefully and have mater-
ially reduced them wherever we thought it was possible. We think this
is the lowest estimate on which we can carry the work on anything like
an adequate basis.
134
WITHDRAWAL
* ''Our administration expenses should not be considered as simply
the expenses of distributing a certain relief fund, because now that we are
working under Associated Charities methods, we are expending a great
deal of time in actual service for the poor, in trying to secure employment
and planning to make them self-supporting, thus reducing the necessity
for relief. Work of this sort, of course, requires a great deal more time on
the individual case than where the question to be considered is simply
the granting or withholding of a sum of money.
''To administer the hospital work in the most economical manner
involves a considerable amount of work to the office force, as it means
planning for patients who are ready to leave the hospital and who often
have no place to go or no proper accommodations. We have reduced the
force since the cutting down of the housing work, and I think that every-
one here is working to the utmost limit.
"I respectfully suggest that a monthly appropriation of $4,500 be
made to the Associated Charities for its work, to be expended as follows:
Hospital work $1,500
Unemployed 200
Material relief 1,500
Administration expenses i ,300 '*
4. CONCLUDING REMARKS
Whether the weaknesses of the centralized system as re-
vealed by the San Francisco Relief Survey are inherent can be
determined only by future experiment, for there is no way of
measuring the relative value of the two systems described in
this chapter.
It should be borne in mind, however, that under the dis-
trict system there was severe criticism of the delay in making
grants. The suggestion is offered that whenever a centralized sys-
tem is desirable, a practical scheme of administration is to organize
sub-committees by geographical sections while general control is
retained by the central ofifice.
By way of summary, it may be said that the district system
was a natural development. It took shape when the army was
in control and knew that only by the division of the city into
sections could the vast problem be managed. When the social
worker took hold the district system was ready to hand and was
135
REHABILITATION
availed of to bring into working relation a quickly collected force
of trained and untried investigators and advisers. When the
relief work came more definitely under the control of the business
man, who chafed under criticism, there was a sharp reversal of
method. A trade experience that had proved the value of de-
partmental division led naturally to a recasting of the relief work
on a departmental basis.
I
136
Ill
CALLS FOR SPECIAL FORMS OF SERVICE
1. RELATIONS WITH AUXILIARY SOCIETIES
UPON one vital question of policy the experience of the
San Francisco Rehabilitation Committee repeated the
experience of the special relief committee of the Chicago
fire. Upon no other point is the evidence of the relief work,
following each of the fires, as clear as it is on the question here
considered of the establishment of the right relation with local
charitable agencies.
In the report of the special relief committee of the Chicago
fire* the following paragraph occurs:
''In the earlier portion of its work the Committee relied entirely
upon the certificates of the pastors of churches and authorized officers
of organized benevolent associations, for the evidence that the applicant's
condition and needs had been duly investigated, and for a correct state-
ment of the kind and amount of relief required. To facilitate such inves-
tigations, suitable blanks were prepared, containing appropriate inquiries
regarding the applicant's property, circumstances, losses, and present
condition. Experience soon demonstrated that we could not rely with
sufficient confidence upon this method of investigation as affording
reliable evidence of the nature and amount of the applicant's needs; and,
subsequently, the course was adopted of sending all applications which
were suitably recommended to the district in which the applicant resided,
for the case to be personally investigated and reported upon in writing by
one of the official visitors in the employ of the Society."
It appears from the review of the original plans of the
Rehabilitation Committee, that the error made by the Chicago
Committee of accepting recommendations in place of making
investigations was avoided. The Rehabilitation Committee, as
* See Report of the Chicago Relief and Aid Society of Disbursements
to Contributors, p. 197.
137
REHABILITATION
the reader knows,* had from the beginning its own staff of paid
workers, whose reports and work it could control. But early
in July, 1906, considerable pressure was brought upon the Com-
mittee to change its methods so that the regular relief Societies
of the city might upon presenting their cases, with recommenda-
tions, have these considered by the Rehabilitation Committee
without their having to be subject to investigation by the sec-
tion forces. Members of the Finance Committee of Relief and
Red Cross Funds urged concessions, and concessions were finally
made. On July 12, 1906, the United Irish Societies objected to
the treatment that the Rehabilitation Committee had advised
for some of the families recommended by them. Their repre-
sentatives were present at a meeting of the Rehabilitation Com-
mittee and urged that they be granted the privilege of having
their recommendations considered as though they came from the
section committees. At that time the Rehabilitation Committee
told the representatives that as a trustee of the funds its duty was
to gain information about cases through the special channels of
information it had provided, and that all reputable organizations
would be notified to refer cases to it with recommendations;
that it would follow these recommendations or not as it saw fit.
The Rehabilitation Committee found that it could hold this
position for but a few weeks, because of the influence brought
to bear not directly but through members of the Finance Com-
mittee of Relief and Red Cross Funds. On July 28, 1906, there-
fore, a resolution was passed that any charitable organization
approved by the Finance Committee might present directly to
the Rehabilitation Committee the results of its investigations,
with recommendations, and that these would be passed on di-
rectly without further investigation.
The United Irish Societies was given this privilege, on
probation, for a period of two weeks from July 28, 1906. On
July 31, 1906, the privilege was extended to the German General
Benevolent Society, and on August 6, 1906, to the Conference of
St. Vincent de Paul and the Italian Relief Committee.
To say that the results were unsatisfactory is but to voice
the unanimous sentiment of the then created Corporation and of
*See Part I, p. 14.
138
RELATIONS WITH AUXILIARY SOCIETIES
the 'responsible workers in the Rehabilitation Committee office.
The paid and voluntary workers of the Associated Charities had,
under the instructions given them by the section agents and
the Rehabilitation Committee, developed certain standards of in-
vestigation. Weak as these standards may have been in certain
particulars, still they were standards. The visitors were getting,
at the least, a coherent account of the condition of each family
and were securing, in the main, such data as enabled the Committee
to act intelligently. It is true that in a great many cases there
was no time to corroborate the statements of applicants, but
some picture of the family was presented and some plan that bore
on its face a promise of success. The records that came from the
so-called auxiliary societies were generally bare and fragmentary.
The cards were not filled out and in some cases almost the only
thing that the Committee got was the simple recommendation, —
so much money for this purpose or for that. Paucity of facts
particularly marked the recommendations of the United Irish
Societies. A further characteristic was, that because of a lack
of understanding of the rough-and-ready standards that had been
set, the recommendations called for a higher scale of expenditure
than the Committee could possibly approach. For instance,
their recommendations for furniture rehabilitation ran from
^300 to $500, while the cases presented by the sections ran from
$100 to $300. A great many cards had to be returned to the
auxiliary societies for reconsideration and additional information.
The claim had been that to receive recommendations di-
rectly from these relief societies would be to facilitate the work
of the Rehabilitation Committee; instead, the work was hindered.
Many applications had to be twice considered, and many were
duplications. Some families were in the habit of applying at
every place that would receive applications, a difficulty that
developed through application by the same persons at the central
office and at one or more section offices. Duplications increased
when applications were received at the relief societies' offices.
As soon as the first returns showed that the records were
unsatisfactory, the Rehabilitation Committee had the super-
intendent prepare a circular entitled *' Requirements for Satis-
factory Investigations for the Rehabilitation Committee.'' The
139
REHABILITATION
representatives of the different societies were then called together
informally to discuss the circular. Extracts from it are:
"Present and past earnings of breadwinners in the family are also
necessary to judge fairly as to present conditions. The same maybe said
regarding occupation and physical condition."
"The same detailed statement is required under the head of
Resources. It often happens that without any deception an applicant
does not think of some resource which is available."
"A request upon the card for information as to what the bread-
winners are now doing, in addition to the request upon the card for
present earnings, is for the purpose of ascertaining whether the bread-
winners are back in their original occupations or are doing the best they
can in any occupations in which they could fit."
But the time was fast approaching when the Rehabilitation
Committee should be held in the dark as to the extent of its re-
sources. With the general suspension of applications on August
20, 1906, came an end to the very unsatisfactory arrangement
with the auxiliary societies. After that time applications were
received from auxiliary societies, but they were treated the same
as were applications from any other source.
It is well to examine a little the records of the work of the
auxiliary societies. Taking the one that worked the longest,
the United Irish Societies, we find 1,046 applications received
directly from it. Of this number 582 were duplications of ap-
plications already received through the regular channels. The
net result for the 582 was probably delay rather than speed.
Grants to the number of 858 were made for a sum of 1121,742.91,
an average grant in round numbers of $142 to a person. The
average Rehabilitation Committee grant to May 27, 1907, had
been $109.44 to a person. To make a more illuminating com-
parison: iMost of the United Irish Societies' applications were
for household rehabilitation. The average grant of the Re-
habilitation Committee for such purposes to May 30, 1907, had
been $105.77. An interpretation put on the discrepancy in the
amount of grants is, that as the recommendations from the so-
cieties were so disproportionately large they could not be brought,
even after scaling down, to the common standard set by the
140
REHABILITATION OF INSTITUTIONS
rehabilitation workers. Certain personal elements also tended
to create friction; but there is no reason to go into this aspect
of the matter simply because the definitive stand taken by the
Committee was, that as the responsible distributors of the funds
they and their agents alone should make investigations. This
important work could not be delegated and the fact was finally
accepted that the work of investigation, to be well done, must be
done by a salaried force. This point is one, as was said before,
on which there was emphatic agreement on the part of all the
members of the Committee.
An instance should be noted of work done satisfactorily
with a relief society. Immediately after the calamity the possi-
bility arose that the associations of Jewish Charities in the large
cities of the country would send their contributions to San Fran-
cisco for the Jewish committee to use as a separate relief fund.
Instead, however, of attempting to organize a special relief fund,
the Jewish committee, upon earnest request, agreed to do its work
through the Rehabilitation Committee. The Jewish committee
later was merged into the Hebrew Board of Relief, whose work
was most efficiently done. This Board was never officially called
an auxiliary society, but from the start it made recommendations
directly to the Rehabilitation Committee. Its reports were
based upon a real knowledge of families, and in a large majority
of cases these recommendations were acted upon directly without
a supplementary investigation.
In times of emergency it will doubtless often be expedient
to make a similar arrangement. Such separation or division of
work is very different from leaving to a group of auxiliary societies
the responsibility of making investigations and determining treat-
ment. So far as the San Francisco experience is concerned such
delegation may be set down as a failure.
2. REHABILITATION OF INSTITUTIONS
The question of the rehabilitation of institutions was con-
sidered at one time and another by the Rehabilitation Committee
by request of Mr. Dohrmann, chairman of the Department of
Relief and Rehabilitation. Not until December, 1906, however,
were any definite steps taken in this field. The responsibility
141
REHABILITATION
for making grants rested logically upon the chairman of the
Department of Relief and Rehabilitation. Early in September
Mr. Dohrmann, after consultation with various persons, appointed
an advisory committee on charitable institutions which >vas to
make recommendations to him which he in turn would submit
for final approval to the Executive Committee of the Corporation.
Thirteen persons were chosen to form the committee, with the
end in view of giving due representation to every phase of the
philanthropic life of the community. In meeting with the new
committee Mr. Dohrmann presented a letter of explanation, the
salient points of which were:
1 . That he as chairman of the Department of Relief and Rehabilita-
tion had power solely to make to the Executive Committee of the Corpora-
tion recommendations of grants to institutions.
2. That he wished the advisory committee on charitable institu-
tions to take into account the losses, the wants, and the incomes of the
individual societies or institutions and to lay down principles of action
before recommending any grants.
3. That he particularly commended to their attention, however,
the societies that would be obliged to take up the work of relief when the
Corporation itself suspended such work.
4. That the advisory committee should act on the assumption that
only $250,000 would be available for its work; though a larger amount
might be set aside for rehabilitating institutions when the Corporation
received further funds from the Eastern committees.
5. That before the incorporation, grants had been made to a few
institutions by direct action of the Finance Committee of Relief and Red
Cross Funds.
6. That he would turn over to the advisory committee the informa-
tion he had received regarding such institutions.
The grants mentioned under (5) had been made "under
pressure of unusual circumstances and without that calm and
careful consideration which in my opinion should precede such
action." He urged that these grants be taken into account be-
fore recommendations for an additional appropriation to a society
were made.
The suggestion was made that personal visits to the in-
stitutions applying would be advisable. The committee was
142
REHABILITATION OF INSTITUTIONS
asked to visit at its own discretion. At the subsequent meeting,
held September 14, the following resolutions were adopted:
1. That aid be given, in preference, to the institutions that were
most directly assisting the work of the Corporation; namely, such as were
caring for the sick, the- aged, and helpless children, and were helping
individuals and families to become self-supporting.
2. That institutions that had been destroyed by the disaster
should not be re-established if in the judgment of the advisory committee
other institutions of like character existed to do the work.
3. That no institution receiving state aid should be recommended.
The committee also informally agreed with Mr. Dohr-
mann's suggestion that in recommending an institution for a
grant, consideration should be given to the amount that it had
already received from any special or general relief fund. At
this September meeting a number of sub-committees were ap-
pointed to make investigations of the institutions applying for
grants. A number of applications, as has already been noted,
were on file. After careful consideration and consultation with
Mr. Dohrmann the committee abandoned the plan of publishing
in the newspapers a notice describing its work.
In visiting institutions the committee presented the follow-
ing letter:
**The bearer is a member of a committee investigating the condi-
tion of the charitable and benevolent institutions of our city with a view
to ascertaining the losses occasioned by the earthquake and fire and the
present pressing needs. It is hoped that out of the general relief fund
something may be done toward helping the most needy institutions to
carry on their work. Will you kindly give the bearer permission to inves-
tigate your institution and give any needed information? It is under-
stood that this committee is merely advisory and is trying to ascertain
the immediate needs so that if funds become available the most needy
institutions will be assisted."
Without following the members of the advisory committee
on their round of visits, we shall give the gist of their report to
Mr. Dohrmann, which is largely a reflection of the recommenda-
tions in his September letter. In this report, dated November
7, 1906, the committee stated that in recommending the allot-
143
k
REHABILITATION
ment of the whole sum of $250,000 to the institutions whose
needs and present importance were most apparent, it had agreed
on certain principles, the most important of which were:
1. To base an allotment on the apparent impairment of income
for the calendar year 1907, and on the loss by fire or earthquake of neces-
sary equipment; and further, to make the sum such as would cover the
needs of the institutions for one year only.
2. To make agreement with each institution that any money not
used for forwarding its work be returned to the Rehabilitation Committee.
3. To prefer the institutions that were most directly assisting in the
work of the Rehabilitation Committee.
4. To favor those institutions which kept satisfactory accounts and
kept them in such shape that they might be produced on demand.
The committee selected one year as the basis of time to be
covered by grants, but stated as its opinion that most of the in-
stitutions would need assistance for a longer period of time. It
expressed the hope that a further sum of money would later be
set aside to be divided among them in the proportion of the first
allotment. The recommendation was that payment be made
immediately, except to the institutions that had received grants
from the Finance Committee of Relief and Red Cross Funds, this
latter class to be aided as soon as feasible.
The institutions aided, all of which had made application
before October 10, are only a portion of those that in the judgment
of the advisory committee needed assistance. The others, it
was hoped, might later be given aid.
The cautious chairman of the Department of Relief and
Rehabilitation, after getting advice from the outside, tested the
recommendations by the following questions:
1. Does the list include all classes of charities that should be
helped?
2. Does the list include all institutions and societies of each class
that should be included?
3. Are the grants in proportion to the amount and value of the
work done?
4. Are there institutions that should be omitted from this list
(a) because they have been subjected to severe criticism that
has never l)een fully met;
144
BUREAU OF SPECIAL RELIEF ,
(b) because they are not charities but run in the interest of de-
nominationalism;
(c) because at this time they are of doubtful value?
5. Should some of the institutions included in this list be given
grants only under certain conditions, to be expended under supervision?
The usefulness of this report of the advisory committee
in relation to other public calamities would not be increased by a
reviewing of its points and suggested issues, nor could the facts
which led to the refusals be given in detail, as much of the infor-
mation obtained was of a confidential character. It is well to indi-
cate the reasons that in some cases led to refusals, without mention-
ing the particular societies. Up to May 1 1, 1907, 16 institutions
had been refused aid on the grounds shown in Table 30.*
TABLE 30. — REASONS FOR THE REFUSAL OF GRANTS TO CERTAIN
SOCIETIES, TO MAY II, I907
Reasons for refusal
Societies refused
Not a charitable organization
Religious organization solely
Not a local organization
Not approved by Charities Endorsement Committee ^
Grant already received
7
4
2
2
I
Total
16
a A local committee created before April, 1906. See Part V, p. 283.
3. BUREAU OF SPECIAL RELIEF
One of the plain lessons of the San Francisco experience is
that any rehabilitation work should have as an adjunct a bureau
to which may be referred cases requiring immediate relief in
kind.
If such a bureau had been organized on July i, it might
have made use of the district force, the investigators sending
recommendations directly from the district offices to the bureau
for immediate action. True, the district offices did have small
emergency funds placed in their hands by the Associated Chari-
* For list of societies aided and classified recapitulation of grants, see
Appendix I, p. 405.
10 145
REHABILITATION
ties, which in turn was reimbursed by the Rehabilitation Commit-
tee; but the expenditures from these funds were necessarily very
small and could not secure, for instance, the purchase of sewing
machines. A great deal of friction also would have been avoided.
The number of complaints would have been much smaller and there
would have been no interruption in the efficient progress of the
rehabilitation work itself.
When the Rehabilitation Committee early in July was in
shape to enter on the active second period of the rehabilitation
work, there remained certain shreds of the old emergency ta^ks.
In Chapter 1 of this part* an account is given of the effort
made to adjust the work of the camps and the sections after the
withdrawal of food issues, when there was felt to be a gap in
organization.
In order partially to meet this situation the Bureau of
Special Relief was organized on August 15 following the plan
made by iMr. Bicknell, of the Rehabilitation Committee, to handle
applications for relief in kind, in order that these need not be
delayed and that the Committee might be left free to deal with
the larger problem of rehabilitation.
The Bureau, when it began its work on August 13, was pre-
pared to give prompt medical assistance, nursing, and aid in
kind to applicants throughout the city. Later in the month the
Bureau was authorized to issue orders in small lots for sewing
machines, tools, and furniture. The Bureau had no authority
to make cash grants.
The central office was established on Cough and Geary
Streets, in rooms easily accessible on the ground floor, and here were
quartered the superintendent, his secretary, bookkeeper, stenog-
rapher, messengers, one or two drivers, and two or three clerks,
the number varjing with the volume of the work. During the
greater part of the Bureau's ten months of service, two physicians,t
*See Part II, p. m.
t The two physicians who visited for the Bureau also served as agents for
the Bureau of Hospitals to determine the eligibility of applicants for admission to
the accredited hospitals. This co-operation made a separate medical staff un-
necessary. An arrangement was made with two existing societies to care for
maternity cases in their own homes. This service was given with no charge upon
the relief fund except for certain medical supplies.
146
BUREAU OF SPECIAL RELIEF
two* nurses, as well as from three to seven investigators were
visiting constantly for it. The original plan was to have an
investigator at each of the section offices, with one or two in addi-
tion at the central oflfice, to make visits at large. Applications
were sometimes received at the central office in person, but the
greater number came by mail or telephone direct from applicants
or from those who reported instances of need. The applications
were telephoned to the Bureau agent in whose district the case was
located. Within a few hours the family was visited and a report
was telephoned to the office. A Bureau clerk had meanwhile
received a report from the Rehabilitation Committee files as to
whether any action had already been taken on the case.
Many cases were reported by members of the section com-
mittees with the idea that the Bureau would in the interim give
care, the Rehabilitation Committee, which of necessity worked
more slowly, not being able quickly to make disposition of a case.
In this way the work of the Bureau supplemented that of the
Rehabilitation Committee and minimized the danger of families
suffering from unavoidable delays in the forming and carrying
out of a rehabilitation plan. The superintendent, with the infor-
mation before him, decided whether to give or withhold aid. If
aid were to be granted, definite orders for relief were immediately
telephoned to merchants with whom arrangements had been pre-
viously made. The orders were later confirmed by letter. The
aid given by the Bureau of Special Relief finally covered shelter,
food (rations or restaurant meals), clothing, furniture, tools,
sewing machines, and medical aid of all sorts including special
appliances, dentistry in emergency need, and, upon a physician's
prescription, special diet.
A visitor called on each family in her charge at least once a
week. On a stated day each week she sent in a report which
covered all families under her care, and which stated whether
the help given in groceries, meat, or milk, should be continued one
week longer, with an estimate of how long in each case relief would
be necessary. When a family seemed likely to require rations
indefinitely, it was until October transferred to Camp 6 and after
that date to Ingleside camp, as the Bureau did not provide assist-
ance indefinitely. After the middle of January, 1907, all orders were
147
REHABILITATION
issued for two weeks so as to lessen the required visits to each
family to one in two weeks. Orders for food and merchandise
were placed with merchants located as closely as possible to the
residences of applicants, and grocers were held to a high standard
of service, both as to quality and quantity of goods and as to
promptness of delivery. Special tests were set from time to time
to see that the order system worked as planned. In the case of
clothing orders the Bureau agent usually went with the applicant
to help make selection of clothing.
TABLE 3 I . — A. AMOUNT EXPENDED MONTHLY BY BUREAU OF SPECIAL
RELIEF FOR ALL PURPOSES FROM AUGUST I 5, I906, TO JUNE 30,
1907
Period
1906 August 15 to August 31
September .
October
November .
December .
1907 January
February .
March
April ....
May ....
June ....
Total ....
Amount
$1,294.10
3,860.45
4,632.00
6,160.32
9,210.66
1 1,284.13
8,940.47
4,320.72
2,936.06
2,668.34
1,249.88
$56,557-13
TABLE 31. — B. AMOUNT EXPENDED BY BUREAU OF SPECIAL RELIEF
FOR ADMINISTRATION AND FOR SUPPLIES FROM AUGUST I5,
1906, TO JUNE 30, 1907
Purpose of expenditure
EXPENDITURE
Amount
Per cent
Administration (including salaries of
physicians and nurses) .
Supplies
$15,720.70
40,836.43
27.8
72.2
Total
^56,557-13
1 00.0
148
BUREAU OF SPECIAL RELIEF
• Certain items subsequently charged to the Bureau bring
the total to $58,421.35.*
As seen in Table 3 1 A the volume of work increased gradually
from August, 1906, to January, 1907, and then fell off steadily to
June 15.
The Bureau of Special Relief was originally organized to
deal only with families living outside the permanent camps, but
by degrees it became necessary for it to render to residents of
the camps such services as the camp commanders and their staffs
were unable to give. Upon direct request from a camp com-
mander, for instance, the Bureau would send regular supplies to
applicants who were unable to eat at the camp kitchens, or would,
when the camp supply was exhausted, or unsuitable, supply
clothes and such emergency household needs as stoves and blan-
kets. The camp department was able through its surgeon to give
certain kinds of medical aid. The specific responsibility of the
camps was to administer them so as to give suitable housing and
discipline to their complex population. It was well that the De-
partment of Camps was able to call on such an organization as the
Bureau to supply the miscellaneous needs which lay outside the
routine provision of camp life.
As was said above, the Rehabilitation agents sometimes
called on the Bureau to give aid while cases were pending in their
department. Soon after its organization the Bureau took charge
of requests for tools and other articles, the Rehabilitation agents
being instructed to refer directly to it without investigation all such
applications. When it was soon found, however, that most of
these uninvestigated cases were in fact applications for rehabilita-
tion, the order was reversed, so that a later request received by the
Department for aid in kind should be first investigated by its
agent and then referred to the Bureau through the secretary of
Sub-committee I.f In referring the case, a memorandum was
* $58,42 1.35 is the total expenditure of the Bureau of Special Relief, given
in the Sixth Annual Report of the American National Red Cross, pages 87 and 88,
The cost of sewing machines granted by the Bureau is not included in these fig-
ures. All such machines were paid for by the Rehabilitation Committee out of
its own funds.
fThe centralized system, not the district system, being then in effect.
149
REHABILITATION
added, to state that it had been investigated and to specify the
amount and kind of aid to be given. After February i, 1907, the
Bureau ceased to give tools and sewing machines except on the
order of the RehabiHtation Committee; if applications for these
articles were made by a camp resident, the approval of the camp
commander had to be obtained before the application could be for-
warded to the Bureau. The Bureau of Special Relief practically
closed on June 15, 1907. A small force was at work until June
21, 1907, when all outstanding appeals were settled.
150
IV
WHAT THE REHABILITATION RECORDS SHOW
1. INTRODUCTORY
THE survey of the rehabilitation work of the San Francisco
Relief and Red Cross Funds had not gone far before the need
of a tabulation of all the case records became apparent.
Many questions of policy and administration were involved in
accurately learning what the records indicated. Of course, in
many matters of detail the records could not possibly give evidence
necessary to reach absolute certainty. There would necessarily
be many questions whose answers must be got from those who had
had most experience in the work because they, the men, could
offer stronger evidence than could any record. To other questions,
however, it is plain, tabulation must give the final and convincing
answer. For instance, in connection with the periods of time
elapsing between application for and receipt of grants, the convinc-
ing evidence is the dates on the records.
The light that they throw upon such a point is only a small
part of what the case records have to offer. Such data as the
average size of the grants, and not only the average size of all
grants but of grants for particular purposes, — these the enumera-
tion furnishes. Then there are the questions involved in reopening
cases and in making second grants. In short, it is believed that
the returns obtained from the analysis of every rehabilitation case
record will serve not only as a register of the rehabilitation work
after the San Francisco fire, but as a post with many signs for those
v/ho may be called upon to do a similar work in the future, — not
necessarily as the result of a catastrophe having like magnitude
but of one by which the destruction of a large portion of a city, its
residential and its business sections, is effected. Wherever a pub-
lic calamity brings such blight the lessons and returns of the San
Francisco rehabilitation work will be of value.
151
REHABILITATION
In making the study upon which the following tables are
based, an arbitrary but essentially true classification of grants is
made. In each record the grant involving the largest amount of
money is considered the principal grant; another grant,. smaller
in amount and given for a different purpose, is called subsidiary.
Thus, for instance, a family receives feoo to put up a house and
$100 for furniture or household rehabilitation. The housing grant
is principal, the household, subsidiary. Analysis of principal and
subsidiary grants has been made in order to learn how often one
form of rehabilitation was insufficient to accomplish the desired
end. The terms ''principal" and ''subsidiary,'' it will be noted,
have no reference to priority of grants but simply to amounts
involved.
2. SOCIAL DATA AND TOTAL GRANTS AND REFUSALS
The table first presented shows the final disposition of all
the applications recorded.
TABLE 32.-
-DISPOSAL OF APPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION
FOLLOWING INVESTIGATION
Disposal made of application
Applications
disposed of
as specified
Cases in which aid was allowed .
Cases in which aid was refused .
Cases closed without action
Applications referred elsewhere .
Applications withdrawn by applicant
Applications cancelled . . .
Requisitions issued ....
Relief given, but not in money
Applications otherwise disposed of withoi
jt th
e gn
mtin
gof
relie
f
20,241
2,909
2,447
485
439
207
199
172
236
Total
27»335
The cases "closed without action/' about 9 per cent of the
whole, include applications from other members of families
assisted, from persons later cared for in Ingleside Camp,* and from
persons living in camp with no definite plans, who later were
granted cottages by the Department of Camps and Warehouses
and made no further application for rehabilitation.
*See Part VI, page 319 ff., for description of the work done at Ingleside
152
SOCIAL DATA, GRANTS, AND REFUSALS
TABLE 33. — DISPOSAL OF APPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION, BY
NATURE OF APPLICATION^
Nature of
application
Cases in
which aid
was allowed
Cases in
which aid
was refused
Cancel-
ations
Requisi-
tions
Total
Household furniture
Business rehabili-
9.064
1,274
43
2
10,383
tation .
General relief
4,740
3,635
547
581
13
68
12
12
5,312
4,296
Housing .
Transportation
Tools for mechanics
1,709
809
337
• • •
25
39
173
2.071
1,021
and artisans
284
170
19
473
Total
20,241
2,909
207
199
23,556
Per cent .
86.0
12.3
•9
.8
1 00.0
-The data relative to the nature of the applications are available only for
grants, refusals, cancelations, and requisitions.
TABLE 34. — APPLICANTS FOR REHABILITATION, BY AGE, AND BY
NATURE AND DISPOSAL OF APPLICATION^
APPLICANTS WHOSE AGES WERE AS
SPECIFIED
Nature and disposal of
application
Under
25 years
25 years
and under
50 years
50 years
and over
Not
Stated
Total
Household furniture
Grants
Refusals
Business rehabilitation
320
66
5,496
821
2,923
354
325
33
9,064
1,274
Grants
Refusals
General relief
104
28
2,532
323
1,726
161
378
35
4,740
547
Grants
Refusals
197
32
1,470
284
1,431
190
537
75
3,635
581
Housing
Grants
Refusals
Transportation
47
10
1,027
181
426
97
209
49
1,709
337
Grants
Tools
73
403
229
104
809
Grants
Refusals
33
20
137
102
92
28
22
20
284
170
Total grants .
Total refusals
774
156
1 1,065
1,711
6,827
830
1,575
212
20,241
2,909
Grand total .
930
12,776
7,657
1,787
23,150
Per cent of refusals
16.8
13.4
108
1 1.9
12.6
^-The figures of this table relate only to applicants for money grants.
<53
REHABILITATION
The *' applications referred elsewhere*' include those referred
to other agencies, such as the Physicians' Fund.* The fact that
only between i and 2 per cent of the total applications were so
referred shows that the ordinary relief work of the city hacj to be
carried by the Corporation.
The 1,709 housing grants referred to in Table 33 do not in-
clude the grants of camp cottages, nor the $500 bonus grants. f
The number of grants and refusals of each kind of aid is
shown in connection with the ages of applicants in Table 34.
Whenever a family was normal and its income at the time of appli-
cation was sufficient to meet daily needs a grant naturally was
refused. The greater number of refusals were made to families
having male breadwinners in the prime of life.
TABLE 35. — APPLICANTS FOR REHABILITATION, BY DOMESTIC STATUS
AND BY NATURE OF APPLICATION^
Nature of application
Married
couples
Men — sin-
gle, widowed,
deserted, or
divorced
Women —
single, wid-
owed, de-
serted, or di-
vorced
Total
Household furniture .
Business rehabilitation
General relief
Housing ....
Transportation
Tools
7,072
1,863
1,555
385
212
259
571
566
116
233
239
3,007
2,853
2,200
375
364
3
10,338
5*287
4,216
2,046
982
454
Total
12,537
53.8
1,984
8,802
23,323
Per cent
8.5
37-7
100. 0
a In this table are included applicants who received money grants, appli-
cants who were refused money grants, and 173 applicants who received orders for
transportation.
Table 35 shows the domestic status of the applicants for the
different kinds of rehabilitation. Note the number of single or
widowed women who applied for business rehabilitation. Note,
also, that though the applications by married couples were but
* For mention of separate funds not administered by the Rehabilitation
Committee, see Appendix I, p. 415.
t For full discussion of these grants see Part IV, Chaps. 11 and III. p. 221 ff.
SOCIAL DATA, GRANTS, AND REFUSALS
53.8 per cent of the whole, they made up three-fourths of the ap-
plications for housing.
TABLE 36. — APPLICANTS HANDICAPPED BY PERSONAL. MISFORTUNES
OR DEFECTS
Condition
Applicants affected
Applicants handicapped
Applicants not handicapped
10,157
12,993
Total
23,150
Per cent handicapped
43-9
TABLE 37, — APPLICANTS AFFECTED BY HANDICAPS OF EACH SPECI-
FIED KIND
Kind of handicap
APPLICANTS AFFECTED BY EACH
SPECIFIED HANDICAP
Number
Per cent
111 health
Numerous dependents
Injury
Death in family
Intemperance
8,231
832
582
432
80
81.0
8.2
57
4-3
0.8
Total
10,157
lOO.O
The caution must be given that the percentage of 81.0 of
ill health is a mere approximation. The return is unsatisfactory,
because the records in regard to this entry were particularly
vague. Too much weight should not be given to the mere
handful of 80 cases in which intemperance was recorded. Only
the most flagrant cases which called for medical or disciplinary
treatment were so entered.
Consideration is given in Table 38 to the size of the families
applying and in Table 39 to the number of families that had chil-
dren under fourteen.
155
REHABILITATION
TABLE 38. — NUMBER OF PERSONS IN FAMILIES OF APPLICANTS FOR
REHABILITATIONa
FAMILIES OF EACH SPECIFIED
Number of persons in family
NUMBER OF PERSONS ,
Number
Per cent
1
4,768
20.9
2
3
4
5,759
4,368
3,262
25.2
19. 1
143
S
2,105
9.2
6
7
8
1,223
658
381
5-3
2.9
1-7
9
194
0.8
10 or over
•45
0.6
Total
22,863
1 00.0
a The difference between the total of this table and the totals of preceding
tables is due to a variation in the number of cases for which data are available.
The interesting fact brought out in Table 38 is that 79.5 per
cent had four or less in the family, and that 65.2 per cent had three
or less. The table includes the families not only of married and
widowed persons with minor children, but families in which there
were adult children, aged parents, and other relatives. It is
given in order to show the relative size of the family groups reached
by rehabilitation. ^
TABLE 39. — FAMILIES AMONG THE APPLICANTS FOR REHABILITA-
TION WITH CHILDREN, BY NUMBER OIF CHILDREN UNDER FOUR-
TEEN YEARS OF AGE IN EACH FAMILY
FAMILIES HAVING
EACH SPECIFIED NUMBER
Number of children
OF
CHILDREN
under fourteen in family
Number
Per cent
1
4,041
42.0
2
2,692
28.0
3
1,526
159
4
787
8.2
5
386
4.0
6
139
1-4
7
42
0.4
8 or over
12
0.1
1
rotal
• •
9,625
1 00.0
156
PRINCIPAL AND SUBSIDIARY GRANTS
We find in Table 39 that 85.9 per cent had three or less chil-
dren under fourteen and 70 per cent had two or less. No particular
significance should be attached to the fact that 42 per cent had
only one child under the age specified, for the reason that the ages
of the parents are not given. The table shows that the families
with which the Rehabilitation Committee had to deal did not have
a ''quiverful'' of children.
3. PRINCIPAL AND SUBSIDIARY GRANTS
The grants made for purposes of rehabilitation have been
classified as principal and subsidiary. As was stated on page
152, the term "principal" has been used to describe the largest
grant made to an applicant, ''subsidiary'' to describe a grant
smaller in amount given to the same applicant for a difi'erent pur-
pose. It is evident from this definition that the number of prin-
cipal grants made equalled the total number of applicants who
received grants. Subsidiary grants were much fewer in number
than principal grants. Principal grants did not necessarily come
first in point of time. Indeed, three times out of four they came
last, because they followed the satisfying of a lesser emergent need
by their greater rehabilitating force. In compiling Tables 40, 41,
and 42, successive grants of the same nature have been considered
as constituting one grant.
In Table 40 principal and subsidiary grants are classified
according to the nature of the rehabilitation given.
TABLE 40. — NUMBER OF PRINCIPAL AND SUBSIDIARY GRANTS, BY
NATURE OF GRANTS
PRINCIPAL GRANTS
SUBSIDIARY GRANTS
Nature of grant
Number
Per cent
Number
Per cent
Household furniture ....
Business rehabilitation
General relief
Housing
Transportation
Tools
9,064
4,740
3,635
1,709
809
284
44.8
23.4
18.0
8.4
4.0
1-4
918
176
709
25
42
92
46.8
9.0
36.1
2.1
47
Total . . . .* .
20,241
1 00.0
1,962
1 00.0
157
REHABILITATION
The next table shows the amounts disbursed in principal
and in subsidiary grants, according to the nature of the rehabilita-
tion given.
TABLE 41. — AMOUNT OF PRINCIPAL AND SUBSIDIARY GRANTS,
BY NATURE OF GRANTS
PRINCIPAL GRANTS
SUBSIDIARY GRANTS
ALL GRANTS
Nature of
grant
Amount
Per
cent
Amount
Per
cent
Amount
Per
cent
Household
furniture ,
$ 937,641.99
32.8
$ 80,34798
52.9
$1,017,989.97
33-9
Business re-
habilitation
860,934.80
30.2
11,502.40
7.6
872,437.20
29.0
General relief
433,342.70
15.2
53>i66.i5
35.0
486,508.85
16.2
Housing
564,986.15
19.8
2,31470
1-5
567,300.85
18.9
Transportation
47,181.07
1-7
173570
I.I
48,916.77
1.6
Tools
9»792-35
•3
2,945.85
1.9
12,738.20
.4
Total .
$2,853,879.06
lOO.O
$152,012.78
lOO.O
$3,005,891.84
lOO.O
It should be mentioned in connection with these percentages,
that kits of tools for mechanics and artisans were distributed by the
Los Angeles Tool Fund in addition to the 376 cash grants for tools
noted above; also that the amount given for housing as stated in the
table does not include the camp cottages* given to camp families.
These two facts explain the comparatively low percentages
for these two forms of rehabilitation. The 1 5.2 per cent of princi-
pal grants given for general relief indicates roughly the amount of
relief work that had to be done by the Rehabilitation Committee
in connection with rehabilitation.
Table 42 shows that under the title ''Housing/' relief in
sums of $500 or more was granted to a larger number of persons
than under any other classification. The 450 families reached by
these larger grants are 26 per cent of those aided to rebuild. With
but 3 1 exceptions they received no aid other than housing. Busi-
ness rehabilitation stands next, but the families reached under
the second classification are scarcely more than 3 per cent of the
number in the business group. Twenty-two of the large grants
for general relief were made by Sub-committee I V.f
* See Part I, p. 85 flF. and Part IV, p. 221 ff.
t See p. 125. Sub-Committee IV, Occupations for Women and Confiden-
158
PRINCIPAL AND SUBSIDIARY GRANTS
TABL€ 42.— AMOUNTS GIVEN TO APPLICANTS RECEIVING $500 OR
MORE, BY NATURE OF PRINCIPAL GRANT^
Nature of principal grant
Number of
cases
Amount
granted
Average
amount per
applicant
Housing
Business rehabilitation ....
General relief
450
162
35
$289,989.90
86,250.34
19,579.90
$64442
532.41
55942
Total
647
$395,820.14
$611.78
a In determining the amount received by each applicant, both principal and
subsidiary grants have been considered.
In 576 instances the sum given was for a single purpose;
in the business group, in 71 instances for two or more purposes.
For example, in 28 instances the money was for business only; in
40 for business and for household furniture, for the expenses of
an illness, or for some other subsidiary purpose. In the housing
group, in 131, the money was for building only; in but 3 1 instances
was it for household aid or general relief.
The highest grant for housing was $1,230.40, the highest
for business, $1,100, but the latter included a tuition fee for a
member of the family. The largest grant for general relief was
$1 ,045, which included the expenses of a long illness.
In addition to the cases presented in the table there were
two for household aid which came to $500 and $600 respectively
as a result of duplication, in the one case through the United
Irish Societies, and in the other, through the confidential com-
mittee.
To complete the picture, we present the grants and refusals
passed on by sub-committees and by the Rehabilitation Committee
during the fourth rehabilitation period from November 4, 1906, to
April 9, 1907. The object of this presentation is to show the pro-
portion of applications passed on without the intervention of a
sub-committee.
. tial Cases, was a special committee created to pass upon a few special cases
which it was thought ought to be kept entirely secret, even to members of the
committee. There is a great difference of opinion as to whether such a commit-
tee was at all necessary and whether its formation was not undemocratic and
unjust.
159
REHABILITATION
TABLE 43. — APPLICATIONS FOR RELIEF PASSED UPON BY SUB-
COMMITTEES AND BY THE REHABILITATION COMMITTEE, WITH-
OUT ACTION BY A SUB-COMMITTEE, IN THE PERIOD FROM
NOVEMBER I, 1 906, TO APRIL I, 1 907, BY NATURE OF THE
APPLICATION''
Nature of applications for
relief
Applica-
tions
passed
upon
Applica-
tions passed
upon by
sub-
committees
APPLICATIONS PASSED
UPON BY THE REHABILI-
TATION COMMITTEE
WITHOUT ACTION BY A
SUB-COMMITTEE
Number
Per cent
of all appli-
cations
Household furniture
Business rehabilitation
General relief ....
Housing
Transportation
Tools for mechanics and artisans
5,647
3,414
2,873
1,788
144
48
5,099
3>095
2,504
1,690
93
31
548
319
369
98
51
17
9-7
9-3
12.8
5-5
35.4
35-4
Total
13.914
12,512
1,402
10. 1
a Of the 13,970 cases passed upon in the period to which this table relates,
56 could not be classified according to the plan adopted.
4. THE RE-OPENING OF CASES TO MAKE FURTHER GRANTS
It was the aim of the Rehabilitation Committee to make
final disposition of each application for a specific object by means
of a single grant. This it succeeded in doing in the cases of 17,560
(86.8 per cent) of all applicants aided. Before the other 2,681
applications were finally disposed of, 5,777 grants had been made,
usually at the rate of two grants to a case. Three grants were
rarely made, although there were exceptional cases of applicants
who received three or four different kinds of aid in five or
six separate grants.
Table 44 shows the extent to which re-opening occurred.*
* In addition to cases analyzed above and in the table, 904 cases which
were at first refused were afterwards re-opened to receive a grant.
160
RE-OPENING OF CASES
TABLE .44. — NUMBER OF RE-OPENED CASES BY NATURE OF FIRST
GRANT
Nature of first grant
Household furniture
Business rehabilitation . . . .
General relief . . . . .
Housing
Transportation
Tools for mechanics and artisans
Total
Total num-
ber of cases
9^552
4.524
3*787
1,212
799
367
20,241
RE-OPENED CASES
Number
1,299
540
657
62
37
86
2,681
Per cent of
all cases
13.6
11.9
173
51
4.6
23.4
13.2
The form of aid through which the greatest proportion of
cases was disposed of by a single grant was transportation. Of
these but 4.6 per cent were ever re-opened.
A single grant for transportation was effective in so high a
proportion of cases because the appHcant as a rule was being sent
where work awaited him or to relatives pledged to furnish him a
home.* The re-opened transportation cases are mainly those of
persons who could not adapt themselves to life in other communi-
ties, and who returned to San Francisco and were given household
furniture or business rehabilitation. Housing was a form of aid
offered principally to self-supporting families; hence those whose
first grant was for housing were usually wage-earners whose in-
come sufficed not only to furnish the house, but to pay part of the
expenses of building it. Business cases were usually re-opened,
not for aid for other purposes, but for additional aid for business, —
a legitimate demand where circumstances showed that an appli-
cant was threatened with failure for lack of a small amount of
additional capital.
There seems to be no reason in the nature of things why a
first grant of aid for household furniture should not have been
conclusive in a greater number of instances. Families were re-
quired to present fairly definite plans before being given aid to
re-establish their homes. If they could have been dealt with
II
* See Part I, p. 58 ff.
161
REHABILITATION
more liberally in the beginning, there would have been less re-
opening. Most of these first grants for furniture, however, were
given between August 20 and November i, and were inadequate.
Although at the time they were treated as final, later on, especially
during January and February, families who made request were
given an additional grant for furniture.
General relief is in its very nature indeterminate. It is not
surprising, therefore, to see that one case in six returned for addi-
tional assistance. Some of the families were given intermittent
care until June, 1907, and then became charges of the Associated
Charities and the other regular relief agencies.
Grants for tools were nearly all given very early in point of
time, and were for small amounts. They averaged but ^4.71.
Such of these applicants as later applied again were considered
eligible to receive grants for household furniture, or were assisted
to build homes, on the same basis as though they had not previously
received aid. The same is true of many families who early re-
ceived small amounts of general relief. When they succeeded
later in forming definite plans they were given grants for house-
hold furniture, for housing, or for business.
It is evident that in any disaster so great that months are
devoted to the work of reconstruction, a number of families must
be dealt with at least twice and some must be carried through the
entire period that the wonted relief work of the community is
superseded by the unwonted. Even though action taken on an
individual application be regarded as final, there will be many
re-applications, some because there is the craving for another slice,
some because there is a planning to make good use of aid that is
being ofi'ered in new forms, and others because there is the facing
of a new family crisis. In each instance, as a rule, there must be a
re-investigation, which means that the time of investigators and
of committeemen is drawn in part from the consideration of cur-
rent cases. All cases sufi^er corresponding delay. As was to be
expected, the greater number of re-openings were in the first three
periods of the rehabilitation work. Of 912 household grants made
before the end of October, 1906, only 175 were filed away to remain
"closed.''
How could the re-opening of cases have been in part obviated?
162
RE-OPENING OF CASES
•First, by avoiding the mistake of filing a case as "closed'*
when it was unfinished.
Second, by supervising the expenditure of money given for
a definite purpose to persons of weak wills or poor judgment, and
by making the grant, if the state of the funds permitted, sufficient
adequately to meet the purpose. To illustrate: 371 families
received grants for furniture, and 461 for business rehabilitation,
each in two allotments. In some of these cases, because of the
withholding of the funds, the first grant was inadequate. In
others, the money was spent to poor advantage or for purposes
other than the original intention. The Rehabilitation Committee
in making business grants hesitated to hand an applicant more
than the average business grant of $250. If provision from the
start could have been made to have business grants expended under
the supervision of trained workers, larger sums could have been
safely placed to the credit of the applicants, many business failures
would have been averted, and the call for second grants avoided.
Third, by opening earlier the Bureau of Special Relief.
If the Bureau had been started in May instead of in August to
give emergency aid in money as well as in kind, it would have
released the Rehabilitation Committee from the need of considering
the granting of petty amounts, and would have left it free to con-
centrate effort in its own field. To illustrate: The Rehabilitation
Committee before the middle of August made 480 small cash
grants for general relief, and 373 for tools. The Bureau could
have handled these quickly and effectively by giving help in kind
or in cash to an amount of $50 or less. Later, when plans for
permanent rehabilitation had been made on the one hand by the
Rehabilitation Committee, on the other by the families themselves,
the way would have been clear for the more weighty decisions.
The quick exchange of records would have meant that the facts
held by the Bureau were available as the basis for further in-
vestigation.
The length of time elapsing between application and gr^t
was seriously studied by the reviewers. The results need not be
given in detail. It should be noted that delays in a time of
emergency must not be judged by the standards applied to the nor-
mal work of a relief society. The time elapsing between applica-
163
REHABILITATION
tions and grants varied materially with the period of the relief
work. In the first period, extending from May 5 to July 7, 1906,
the proportion of grants made within three weeks of the date
of application was larger than in the second, the period of ac-
celerated applications, extending from July 7 to August 20, 1906.
During the third, the period beginning August 20 and ending
November 4, 1906, the proportion of grants made within three
weeks of the date of application was smaller than during any other
period of the relief work. The proportion of grants made six weeks
or more after the date of application was at the same time much
larger in this period than in the earlier periods. In the fourth
period of the work, extending from November 4, 1906, to April 4,
1907, the proportion of grants made within three weeks of the date
of application was smaller than in the first period, but much
larger than in the second and third periods.
During the first period of rehabilitation work, the burden of
care fell on the army as well as on the Finance Committee of Relief
and Red Cross Funds. It was the time when the people were not
ready in large numbers to make application for rehabilitation.
Only 1,843 applied during the nine weeks. During the second
period of six weeks, 6,479 applied to the central and to the seven
section offices in which were working the newly organized force
of investigators. If any standard were to be upheld, deliberation,
which meant delay in dispatch of cases, had to be in order. When
in the third period of ten weeks the number of applicants was but
2,872 and the force of investigators, case reviewers, and committee-
men had had time to get on a sound working basis, the episode of
the withholding of the eastern funds caused a partial paralysis
of decision. In this period the long delay in making grants is a
reflex. I n the fourth period of twenty-two weeks, during which the
number of applications was 10,994, when retrenchment was not
the key-word, the sharp reversal of policy makes any testing of
relative speed impracticable. The cumulative efi^ect of working
conscientiously together brings the power to dispatch cases.
Whether the relative dispatch would have been greater or less in
the fourth period if the district plan had been adhered to can be
answered either way merely by a conjecture. Two facts must be
borne in mind: First, no physical sufi'ering resulted from delay.
164
VARIATIONS IN AMOUNTS OF GRANTS
The * emergency cases were always handled with rapidity, first
through the camp commanders and the staff at headquarters,
later through the Bureau of Special Relief. Second, mental
suffering did result from delay, but to be thorough, rehabilitation
work must be carried out with deliberation.
5. VARIATIONS IN AMOUNTS OF GRANTS, AND REFUSALS
There is first presented a table classifying the grants for
different purposes according to amount of grant.
TABLE 45.-
-GRANTS FOR REHABILITATION BY AMOUNT AND BY
NATURE OF RELIEF GIVENa
GRANTS OF
Nature of grant
Less
than
$100
$100
and
less
than
$200
$200
and
less
than
$300
$300
and
less
than
$400
$400
and
less
than
$500
$500
and
over
Total
Household furniture
Business rehabilitation ,
General relief .
Housing ....
Transportation
Tools . . . .
4,708
1,018
2,307
92
729
358
4,460
1,730
1,420
333
106
21
721
1,402
619
743
22
63
420
114
102
5
4
156
37
67
2
2
162
35
450
2
9>958
4,888
4,532
1,787
866
379
Total
9,212
8,070
36.0
3»507
704
31
266
651
22,410
Per cent .
41. 1
15-7
1.2
2.9
1 00.0
a Because of variations in the practice of treating successive grants of the
same nature to a single applicant as a single grant or as different grants, the figures
in the "total" column of this table differ from the corresponding figures presented
in other tables and in the text.
The table indicates the amounts allotted to individuals
for the various forms of rehabilitation, and brings out striking
differences in the sums required for different purposes. Of the
9,958 homes furnished, 9,168 (92.1 per cent) were refurnished at
less than $200 each, and 4,708 of these (47.3 per cent of the total) at
less than $100. The larger sums, ^200 and more, usually mean that
a family having spent its first furniture grant for some other justi-
fiable purpose was later given a second furniture grant, or that the
so-called furniture grant included $50 to $100 given for clothing and
165
REHABILITATION
incidentals. Single sums given for a double purpose have been
classified under the predominant purpose. Thus the numerous
grants reading ''Household Furniture and General Relief" have
been classed as household grants; ^300 or over was involved in
less than i per cent of the grants so classified.
Grants for business were much larger than those for the
household. More than one-half (56.2 per cent), to be sure, were
for less than $200, but 15 per cent were for ^300 or more, and of
these, 3 per cent received $500. Seldom was the grant more than
ii?500.
Grants for general relief in 82.2 per cent of all cases were for
less than ^200; in 50.9 per cent for less than ^100.
Housing* is the form of aid that called for the largest indi-
vidual grants. About one-fourth, 23.7 per cent, were under ^200;
41.6 per cent were between ^200 and ^300; and one-fourth were
J500 or over. The sums granted for transportation and for tools,
on the other hand, were very small, 84.2 per cent of the former
and 94.5 per cent of the latter being for amounts under ^100.
TABLE 46. — GRANTS AND REFUSALS TO APPLICANTS WHO POSSESSED
RESOURCES, BY AMOUNT OF RESOURCES
Amount of resources
Total
number
of appli-
cants
Appli-
cants to
whom
relief was
refused
APPLICANTS TO
WHOM RELIEF WAS
GRANTED
Number
Per cent
of all
applicants
Less than $100
$100 and less than ^200
J200 and less than $400
$400 and less than $600
$600 and less than $i,ooo .
$1,000 and over
Not stated
785
673
1,235
770
576
1,271
922
73
71
162
144
143
480
201
712
602
1,073
626
433
791
721
90.7
89.5
86.9
81.3
75.2
62.2
78.2
Total
6,232
1,274
4,958
79.6
To summarize, 77. i per cent of all grants were for less than
J5200, and of these more than half, or 41.1 per cent of the entire
* Bear in mind that the bonus grants are not included (see Part IV, p.
239 ff.), nor the camp cottage expenditures (see Part IV, p. 221 fT.).
166
REFUSALS
number, were under $ioo. The grants of $200 to $299, consti-
tuting 15.7 per cent, are made up principally of sums for housing
and business. Grants of $300 and over constitute the remaining
7.2 per cent, and most of these were for business rehabilitation
or housing. In the study of business rehabilitation that follows
in Part III, it will become evident that the number of com-
paratively small business grants included some failures.
A glance at Table 46 shows that to possess resources other
than income did not in itself render applicants ineligible for relief.
Of the 6,232 property owners that applied, 4,958, or 79.6 per
cent, received aid. Though the percentage of refusals was higher
among those with the greater amount of resources, 791 persons,
62.2 per cent of those with $1,000 and over, received aid. Under
the grant and loan plan* aid to build was conditional on ownership
of a lot, and the success of a business plan was usually felt to depend
on the applicants' having something to supplement the grant asked
for. Small property owners with small incomes who did not
intend to rebuild, needed household or other aid, and there were
some property owners who could not, if they would, have their
holdings converted into cash. In fact, the persons aided who had
resources were, in general, those whose resources could not or should
not have been used for refurnishing or for current expenses;
those refused were the few who had available cash savings or who
had been so fortunate as to receive their insurance money early
enough to make an independent start. A thousand and one special
considerations and facts entered to make a classification of this
group of cases a call for a digest of each case. Such a digest is
not practicable in this limited Relief Survey. If made, it would
be an index of the individualizing work done by the Rehabilita-
tion Committee. It may be safely said that the Committee
rarely erred on the side of generosity. The immediate lesson to be
learned is that the presence or absence of resources is only a factor
in rehabilitation. No generalizing policy of grants and refusals
can be built upon it.
.* See Part IV, p. 253 ff.
167
REHABILITATION
In Table 47, 5,284 refusals of aid are classified by the reasons
for refusal and the nature of the applications.
TABLE 47. — REASONS FOR REFUSAL OF REHABILITATION^ BY NA-
TURE OF APPLICATION^
APPLICATIONS OF EACH SPECIFIED NATURE
REFUSED
Reasons for refusal
House-
hold
furni-
ture
Busi-
ness
reha-
bilita-
tion
Gen-
eral
relief
Hous-
ing
Trans-
porta-
tion
Tools
Total
Not burned out .
13
12
71
56
6
1 1
169
Not in need ....
180
87
165
42
6
20
500
Has collectable insurance .
115
53
34
5
3
I
21 1
Is earning wages
837
113
183
74
21
122
1.350
Can work ....
150
82
102
13
45
38
430
Relatives can aid .
35
15
45
4
9
5
113
Other members of family al-
ready aided .
13
20
2
7
I
• •
43
Already aided
187
136
95
96
4
6
524
Has savings ....
442
191
107
169
7
22
938
No plan
22
5
15
2
3
I
48
Plan not approved
9
131
23
66
40
. .
269
Plan not definite .
9
32
7
10
10
I
69
Applicant for transportation
can well work here
• •
• •
• •
• •
31
• •
31
Advices from applicants' pro-
posed destination unfavor-
able ....
^ ^
^ ^
10
10
Not in business before fire .
• •
94
• •
• •
94
Not successful in business .
^ ^
3
^ ^
^ ^
.
3
Character defective
100
75
58
13
12
6
264
Has not complied with com-
mittee's requirements .
47
43
28
52
24
2
196
Committee has no funds (Au-
•
gust to November, 1906)
22
• •
• •
« •
22
Total ....
2,159
M14
935
609
232
235
5,284
a It will be noted that the totals of this table are considerably larger than
the corresponding totals of Tables 33 and 34. The difference seems to be due to
the fact that in preparing Table 47 two or more refusals of aid on a single appli-
cation were treated as separate refusals.
168
PART III
BUSINESS REHABILI TAT I O N
Part III
BUSINESS REHABILITATION
I. The People Aided and the Results Obtained
1. The Plan Itself
2. The Study of Results ....
3. The Families and Individuals Aided .
4. Changes in Family and Business Life
5. Occupations
6. Homogeneity of Grantees .
7. Results of Business Rehabilitation
8. Reasons for Success and Failure
II. Analysis by Occupations, Study of Refusals, and
Summary
1 . Success or Failure in Relation to Occupations
2. Study of Refusals
3. Summary of the Results of Business Rehabilitation
PAGE
171
171
173
•74
176
183
185
186
187
196
196
208
210
THE PEOPLE AIDED AND THE RESULTS OBTAINED
1. THE PLAN ITSELF
BUSINESS rehabilitation grants were made from the be-
ginning of the relief work in cases where assistance in
another form would have been less effective. Thus, on
May 1 6 and i8, within a month after the disaster, the Rehabilita-
tion Bureau made a grant of $75 for a shoe repairing shop, and
another of $100 for a restaurant, and on May 30 and June 29,
1906, grants of from $250 to $500 each for a restaurant, a rooming
house, a book store, and a grocery. It is interesting to note that
to no one of these first six business cases was it found necessary
to give additional aid. The Rehabilitation Committee soon after
its organization, July 2, 1906, roughly formulated its business
rehabilitation policy, which is embodied in the following notes
from the minutes of July 19:
1. The Committee is not disposed to set people up in business in
which they have not previously been engaged, although it is possible some
exceptions will have to be made.
2. Estimates of amount necessary to start a business must be cut
to the lowest practical figure.
3. References and other evidence should be required that applicant
is capable and that request is reasonable.
The theory of rehabilitation in business, craft, or calling re-
mained practically the same from May, 1906, to the close of the
work in 1908. Nevertheless, there were differences from time to
time in the handling of applications, due to the factors which have
been shown in the preceding part* to have influenced the rehabili-
tation work in general. In the first period the applications for busi-
ness rehabilitation were comparatively few and the grants small.
*See Part II, p. 113 ff.
171
BUSINESS REHABILITATION
In the second, the Rehabilitation Committee was getting fully pre-
pared to carry its work, in the third, no new applications for
business were received and action on those pending was deferred,
except in the cases of unsupported women and aged people.- These
were given business rehabilitation during the period of arrested
progress only when the need was very urgent and other means
failed. In the beginning of the fourth period a sub-committee
of the Rehabilitation Committee, known as Committee VI, was
appointed* to consider business rehabilitation cases. The work of
Committee VI and the fourth period are practically synchronous,
because after the beginning of the fifth period, in April, 1907, the
few business rehabilitation cases considered were acted upon by
the Rehabilitation Committee itself without the intervention of
its sub-committee.
Committee VI was fortunate in having for its chairman
Charles F. Leege, a merchant and banker of wide acquaintance
and of extended experience, and four members, three of whom had
had abundant commercial training. It had a staff consisting of a
secretary, six to eight visitors, and three clerks.
This committee took up its work with enthusiasm, for its
members believed that in no way could money be spent to greater
advantage than in the .manner proposed. While the business
applications which had been accumulating since August were
being disposed of, in November, 1906, printed formsf were pre-
pared for future applications, and the public was notified of the
conditions under which business aid might be obtained by means
of the following announcement, displayed for some days in the
newspapers:
SAN FRANCISCO RELIEF AND RED CROSS FUNDS
(Incorporated)
Rehabilitation Department
For business rehabilitation, applications will be received from those who
have been successful in trade, business, or profession, and who have been so crippled
by the fire that they cannot now provide themselves with the necessary equipment
or stocks in trade, and who have no other way of supporting themselves or their
families.
Assistance can be given in a limited way only, and for the same line of
business, and the committee reserves the right to deny any applications.
*See Part II, p. 125. t See Appendix II, p. 443.
172
PLAN OF BUSINESS REHABILITATION
Applicants can address a letter or postal card to Business Committee,
Gough and Geary, San Francisco, giving name and address. Blanks will be sent
immediately, which must be filled and returned by mail. No applications will
be received after November 30, 1906.
Personal calls and applications cannot be received.
The blanks sent to applicants were framed so as to help the
applicant to explain clearly on what scale he had been doing busi-
ness up to the time of the disaster, what was the present relation
of his assets to his liabilities, and on what scale he proposed to
re-establish. He was directed to present letters from wholesalers
or others with whom he had had business relations. As a part of
the subsequent investigation, it was often possible for the com-
mittee's visitors to secure written statements from creditors or
from wholesalers, stating definitely what terms they were willing
to make for the payment of old debts or for the establishment of
new credits.
An applicant's plan for re-establishment was not considered
complete until it included a proposed definite location. Before
making a grant for a lodging house or shop, the location for either
of which is important, the committee usually required the applicant
to secure a definite option on a reasonably good location. One
of the most important functions of the visitors on the staff was to
visit and to determine the merits of these proposed locations.
Every efi^ort was made to prevent an applicant from starting busi-
ness in a poor but costly location merely as an excuse for securing
an allowance from the relief funds.
The general aim of Committee VI was to supply the right
sort of man with money enough to pay one month's rent, to buy
the necessary fixtures, and to cover a deposit on stock or on ma-
chinery or instruments. The applicant went into debt for the
rest of his equipment, with the idea of discharging the debt little
by little from the profits of the business.
2. THE STUDY OF RESULTS
Between October, 1906, and April, 1907, Committee VI
considered 2,032 applications. Applicants to the number of 464
were refused aid of any nature; in applicants were given aid,
but for purposes other than business ; and i ,226 were given business
173
BUSINESS REHABILITATION
aid in amounts ranging from ^50 to $500.* The remaining 231
cases were withdrawn or taken over by other committees. Most
of the appHcants, many of whom collected little or no insurance
upon property destroyed by the fire, represent the class that prefer
a very modest living in an enterprise of their own to better wages
working for others. There were those, too, who by reason of age
or other infirmity had small prospect of holding their own as wage-
earners, and can hardly be said to have had the choice between the
two ways of making a living.
A re-visit, for the Relief Survey, to persons who had applied
for aid for business purposes, was begun in July, 1908, and com-
pleted in November, 1908. This re-visit covered 1,000 cases,
in 894 of which aid had been given, and in 106 refused. Cases
from all periods of the rehabilitation work were selected at ran-
dom, and should therefore be representative. Of the 894 grants,
196 were made before October 27, 1906, by individual committee-
men representing the Rehabilitation Committee. The remaining
698 grants to these cases were the work of the special sub-com-
mittee known as Committee VI. The average grant for business
received by the 894 applicants to whom grants were made was
J5247.55.
It is not to be understood, from the statement that 1,000
persons were re-visited, that all were found and personally inter-
viewed. A number of the families had disappeared and could not
be found. In cases of this sort an effort was made to secure as
much information as possible from outside sources; and naturally
the information supplied was more complete on some phases of
family or business life than on others.
The word ''family'' in the sections which follow is used as
meaning any applicant for aid and the persons with whom he lived.
As will be shown below, a number of the families aided consisted of
but one person.
3. THE FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS AIDED
Data as to nativity were obtained for 750 of the 894 re-
visited families which received aid. These are shown in Table 48.
* Committee VI made about one-fourth of all the business grants that were
made. The total number of cases in which grants were made was 4,916, and the
total sum granted was $872,437.20. See Tables 40 and 41, pp. 157 and 158.
FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS AIDED
TABLE 48,
-NATJVITY OF HEADS OF FAMILIES RECEIVING BUSINESS
REHABILITATION
Country of birth
Heads of families of
each specified
nativity
America
Germany
Ireland
Italy
377
96
93
29
26
24
22
England
France '
Russia ...........
Mexico
Canada
12
12
Austria
8
Roumania
Denmark
Others .
• ••••••••
7
• 7
37
Total
750
From this statement of the nativity of heads of famiHes, it
appears that the American born constituted almost exactly half
(50.3 per cent) of the entire number. There were, among the
heads of the families aided, 122 Hebrews, of whom 22 were born in
Russia, seven in Roumania, five in Austria, four each in Germany
and in America, and one each in Poland, Hungary, Turkey and
England; 76 Hebrews did not give their nativity. Together, the
Hebrew families constituted over 16 per cent of all the families re-
visited for which information as to nativity was secured. Table
49 shows the conjugal condition of the families aided.
TABLE 49. — CONJUGAL CONDITION OF FAMILY GROUPS RECEIVING
BUSINESS REHABILITATION^
Conjugal condition
Families of each specified
conjugal condition
Married couples
Women, widowed, divorced, or separated
Single women
Men, widowed, divorced or separated
Single men
394
286
93
55
61
Total
889
a Of the 894 family groups investigated, five consisted of men who failed
to supply information relative to conjugal condition.
175
BUSINESS REHABILITATION
The table shows that there were 394 married couples among
these families that had received aid. Man and wife were of the
same nativity in 360 cases, and of differing nativities in 34 cases.
The average size of the family groups aided with business
grants was relatively small, being but 2.8 persons per family. The
average number of children per family was low, partly because of
the large number of single persons aided; but the average number
per marriage was low, too, being i .37. Of the 394 married couples,
124 had no children at all, or none living at home; of the 286
widowed, divorced, or separated women, 128 had no children at
home; of the 55 widowed, divorced, or separated men, 33 had no
children with them.
The ages of all but 19 of the applicants who received aid
are known. Of the 875 concerning whom information is available,
only 3 per cent were over seventy; 45 per cent not more than
forty; 60 per cent not more than fifty; and 77 per cent, over three-
fourths, not more than sixty. More than one-half were between
thirty-five and fifty-five years of age.
The 894 family groups aided included, at the time of the
re-visit, 2,270 individuals. Of these, 1,138, or 50.1 per cent, were
fully self-supporting; 113, or 5 per cent, were partially self-sup-
porting; and 1 ,019, or 44.9 per cent, were dependent. The burden
on the breadwinners is thus seen to have been relatively light.
However, the income from most of their businesses was very small.
It was less than the wages earned in the organized trades and
fluctuated so that it was found impossible to reduce net receipts
to dollars and cents.
In many cases when grants were given to persons who had
no young children, they were given in consideration of the fact
that there were others, often aged parents, depending upon them.
This is true of one-third of the single women and about two-fifths
of the single men.
4. CHANGES IN FAMILY AND BUSINESS LIFE
Partly as a result of the fire, and partly, no doubt, from other
causes, the situation of the families aided with respect to member-
ship, manner of living, and business arrangements, was somewhat
different at the time of the re-visit from wh^t it had been before the
176
PREMISES OCCUPIED AND RENTALS
fire. The families aided had been composed, previous to the fire,
of exactly 2,500 individuals. When the re-visit was made, 29
of these individuals had died and 201 had disappeared, leaving
2,270 individuals in the families studied.
Of the 894 families, 691, or 77 per cent, were found not to
have changed in membership. For 83 families no data on this
subject could be secured. Changes of membership in the re-
maining 120 families are shown in Table 50.
TABLE 50. CHANGES IN FAMILY COMPOSITION BETWEEN PERIOD
BEFORE FIRE AND THE RE-VISIT IN I20 FAMILIES RECEIVING
BUSINESS REHABILITATION
Nature of change
Changes of each
specified nature
Women married since fire
Men married since fire
Separated couples reunited
Couples divorced or separated
Wives deserted by husbands
Women widowed
Men widowed
Families in which other deaths have occurred
Children married since fire
Unmarried children away
21
5
2
6
3
23
5
21
22
12
Total
120
A further classification of the 120 families shows that in 16
families, consolidation, instead of separation, had taken place. Any
tendency of families to stay together or of related families to
consolidate, was fostered by the policy of the Rehabilitation
Committee, which was to treat the family group, if possible, as
a unit, and to give but one grant and that to one member on behalf
of the whole family.
Rentals and Character of Premises
Of the families aided, some had living quarters connected
with their places of business, while others lived away from their
offices or stores. Some families owned the premises which they
occupied, but the great majority paid rent for business accommo-
dations, for residences, or for both. For 197 of the 894, data
could not be secured upon this subject. The situation of the re-
12 177
BUSINESS REHABILITATION
maining 697 families with respect to the payment of rentals, both
before the fire and at the time of the re-visit, is shown by Table 5 1 .
TABLE 51. — NATURE OF PREMISES OCCUPIED AND OF RENTALS PAID
BEFORE AND AFTER THE FIRE, BY FAMILIES RECEIVING
BUSINESS REHABILITATION
Premises and rentals
CASES IN WHICH PREMISES
AND RENTALS WERE AS
SPECIFIED
Before fire
After fire
One rental for business and residence combined
Two rentals
One business rental (residence owned)
No rental (combined premises owned)
One residence rental
Not in business and not paying rent
481
161
16
6
33
353
98
13
34
152
47
Total
697
697
The table shows that there were many changes in the rental
situation of the families. Before the fire, 658 families paid a
business rent; that is, hired either a separate place of business or
quarters in which business and residence could be combined.
The latter plan was followed by 481 families, the separate rental
plan by 161. The remaining 16 paid a business rent only, as they
owned the house they lived in. After the fire, only 464 of the
families were paying a business rent. The falling-off is most
marked in the group of persons following the more ambitious plan
of renting a place of business separate from the residence. Note
the six families that before the fire owned premises for business
and residence combined. This number was raised through the
disaster to 34, most of whom were found, however, to be carrying
on some small enterprise in a cottage taken from a camp to a cheap
suburban lot. The 33 that paid only residence rent before the
fire are among the families that were given money for business
though not in business before the fire. The 1 52 families that, since
the fire, had been paying residence rent only, and the 47 that were
paying no rent, were the families that had utterly failed to recover
their ground. Some were working for wages; the rest were
dependent on relatives or the public.
178
■irA^i'Y. ^
» » >
A plumber's new start
Laundry and residence
Camp Cottages used for Business
• •.
c c
« f •
RENTALS AND CHARACTER OF PREMISES
Residence Rentals and Size of Residences. Of the
894 families there were 125 that are known to have paid rental for
separate residence quarters, both before and after the fire. The
rents paid and the number of rooms occupied at both periods by
94 of these are known, so that the housing conditions of these
families may be discussed apart from their business affairs.
TABLE 52. — RESIDENCE RENTALS PAID, BEFORE AND AFTER THE
FIRE, BY 94 FAMILIES RECEIVING BUSINESS REHABILITATION,
WHO PAID RENTALS FOR SEPARATE RESIDENTIAL QUARTERS IN
BOTH PERIODS
Monthly rentals
Less than $10
$10 and less than $20
$20 and less than J30
$30 and less than
and over .
Total
FAMILIES
PAYING
RENTALS
SPECIFIED
Before fire
After fire
13
14
38
30
26
33
13
•
12
4
15
94
94
The highest rent paid before the fire was ^45 ; after the fire,
$65. It will be noted that both before and after the fire, these
families were able to pay rents that would seem to have assured
fairly comfortable housing accommodations. Before the fire 45.7
per cent of the families paid a rental of ^20 a month or more;
after, 53.2 per cent were paying ^20 or more.
It was found impracticable to establish the relation between
rent paid and income received, for the reason that scarcely a
person interviewed was able, however willing he might be, to say
what his income for a year past had been. Income in most
instances had been exceedingly irregular, and ordinarily the most
that a man could say to the visitor was that his business had or
had not met its running expenses; had or had not, in addition,
furnished some sort of a living for the family; was or was not
paying instalments on the principal of any debt incurred in starting.
Therefore, the standard of life represented by the families in this
study can be shown only by indirect means.
179
BUSINESS REHABILITATION
One of the best of the indirect indications of standards of
living consists in the number of rooms occupied for residential
purposes. The situation in this respect, before and after the fire,
of the 94 families for which information was secured, is shown by
Table 53.
TABLE 53. — NUMBER OF ROOMS IN RESIDENCES OCCUPIED, BEFORE
AND AFTER THE FIRE, BY 94 FAMILIES RECEIVING BUSINESS
REHABILITATION, WHO PAID RENTALS FOR SEPARATE RESIDEN-
TIAL QUARTERS IN BOTH PERIODS
Number of rooms
1 . . .
2 . . .
3 . . .
4 and less than 8
8 and less than 15
Total
FAMILIES OCCUPYING
RESIDENCES OF EACH SPECI-
FIED NUMBER OF ROOMS
The table shows that no striking change took place in the
number of rooms used for residence by these families. Individual
families had their ups and downs, however. Whereas 39 families
occupied the same number of rooms after the fire as before, 31
occupied fewer than before, and only 24 occupied more than before.
As for outlay for rent for living quarters, 13 of these 94 families
paid the same rent before and after; 27 paid less after the fire, and
54 paid more after the fire.
In some instances the disparity in the amount paid in the
two epochs by the individual family is very great. Some families
were found to be paying twice and some even three times as much
rent as before the fire, in spite of the strong effort that people
naturally made to secure quarters corresponding in size and price
with those previously occupied. On the other hand, some of the
childless couples did not try at once to resume housekeeping, but
boarded, so that their rent dropped from the price of a flat to that
of a single room. When families undertook to re-establish them-
180
RENTALS AND CHARACTER OF PREMISES
selves in 1906- 1907, the city was not sufficiently rebuilt to afford
every family just what it required in the way of quarters at a
reasonable price; but the families showed themselves highly
adaptable by taking what they could get, and making the best of it.
Business Rentals. The list of 894 cases affords 76 in-
stances of families who, both before and after the fire, maintained
places of business separate from their residences, and the amount
of rent paid by 74 of these families for business quarters is known.
The residence rents of 56 of them have been discussed in the pre-
ceding paragraphs. The data relative to business rents are pre-
sented in Table 54.
TABLE 54. — BUSINESS RENTALS PAID, BEFORE AND AFTER THE FIRE,
BY 74 FAMILIES RECEIVING BUSINESS REHABILITATION, WHO
PAID RENTALS FOR SEPARATE BUSINESS QUARTERS IN BOTH
PERIODS
Monthly rentals
FAMILIES PAYING
RENTALS SPECIFIED
Before fire
After fire
Less than $20
$20 and less than $40
J40 and less than $60
$60 and less than J8o
J8o and less than $100
J^ioo and less than $300
23
25
II
9
0
6
»9
22
12
10
5
6
Total
74
74
Of the 74 families, 10 were paying the same rent as before
the fire, 21 less rent, and 43 more rent. The premises rented were
as follows: 30 shops, 23 stores, 12 offices, 3 stands, 2 restaurants,
a studio, a stable, a coal yard, and a junk yard. Eight enterprising
persons who took advantage of unsettled conditions to secure
better quarters at a much higher rental in better locations than
before the fire were doing well.
There are no such striking cases of retrenchment in business
rent as appeared when families gave up housekeeping and went to
board. Unless a man could resume business on a scale correspond-
ing in some degree with the scale on which he had done business
181
BUSINESS REHABILITATION
before the fire, he often became a wage-earner. Where he did
drop from a relatively high to a relatively low rent, his business
usually suffered a corresponding decline. Many people evidently
failed to secure advantageous locations, and though their actual
rent was less than it had been, it was harder to meet.
Combined Residence and Business Rentals. The
simplest and cheapest arrangement for a family engaged in busi-
ness is to live in the house in which the business is carried on.
Except in the case of lodging houses, this presupposes smaller
rental and in most instances, smaller income, because places of
business with living quarters attached are usually remote from
the business centers of the town, and attract therefore a smaller
volume of trade. The list of combined quarters is a long one.
Of the families re-visited, 302 are known to have lived in combined
quarters both before and after the fire. Data are complete for
285 of the 302 cases, and the amounts paid are given in Table 55.
table 55. — COMBINED BUSINESS AND RESIDENTIAL RENTALS PAID,
BEFORE AND AFTER THE FIRE, BY 285 FAMILIES RECEIVING
BUSINESS REHABILITATION, WHO PAID COMBINED RENTALS IN
BOTH PERIODS
Monthly rentals
Less than $10
$10 and less than $20
$20 and less than $30
J30 and less than $40
$40 and less than $50
$50 and less than $60
$60 and less than $80
$80 and less than $100
$100 and less than $200
$200 and less than $400
Total
FAMILIES PAYING RENTALS
SPECIFIED
Before fire
13
61
75
34
32
26
25
7
8
4
285
After fire
33
27
53
58
44
25
24
6
10
5
285
The quarters secured by the payment of the above rentals
include 200 premises with from i to 120 rooms; 37 stores with
from 1 to 8 rooms attached; 25 shops with from i to 7 rooms; 12
182
OCCUPATIONS
offices with from i to 9 rooms; 3 studios with from i to 3 rooms;
2 saloons with rooms; 2 stables with rooms; and a factory, a
restaurant, a stand, and a theater, each with a room or rooms
attached.
To secure these quarters, 34 families were paying the same
rent as before the fire, 1 10 were paying less, and 141, or 49.5 per
cent, were paying more than before. Of the 33 families who
paid less than $10 a month after the fire, 15 had before paid
higher rents. Subsequent to the disaster each of these families
rented ground in an out of the way place, and had put up a shack
for a factory or utilized a refugee cottage for shop and residence.
Rents have been gone into in detail because, more than any
other item, they show the far-reaching family changes brought
about by the disaster. Astonishing, indeed, is the adaptability
of families whose quarters, from being one room, became seven;
or from being eight, became one; whose rent jumped from $20
for a restaurant and two rooms before the fire, to $175 for a res-
taurant and one room afterwards; or who, having lived for years
in a twelve-room house for $35, dropped after the fire, to a $7.50
ground rent for space for a three-room shack.
As conditions in San Francisco approach more and more
nearly what they were before the fire,* it is to be hoped that the
families can better see how to adjust their efl'orts so that business
will yield at least a fair living. The details of many of these
long-continued struggles of adjustment are striking, not to say
dramatic, and it is to be regretted that the following pages must
deal rather with the general features of the contest and, for sake
of compactness, omit much that would serve to clothe the dry bones
of statistics with living flesh.
5. OCCUPATIONS
The Rehabilitation Committee made 4,736 grants to as many
families to enable them to resume business of 219 difi^erent kinds.
The 894 families re-visited are a little less than 20 per cent of the
whole number. In the grants made to these, 126 occupations are
represented.
* It may be that the steady growth which San Francisco is destined to
make will prevent the rent of business premises ever falling to before-fire levels.
183
BUSINESS REHABILITATION
Grants were confined almost entirely to re-establishing
families in a line of business in which they had been engaged as
proprietors. A departure from this rule was for good cause, such
as the death or injury of the former head of the business, or ^change
in trade conditions. The number of exceptions is 75, or 8.4 per
cent of the whole number of re-visited families receiving grants.
They are: 28 wage-earners and six housewives given grants to
enter business; and 41 former proprietors aided to re-engage in
business in an entirely different line.
In 79 cases it was recognized at the time the grants were
made that it would be impracticable to reinstate the applicant
on the before-fire scale. In such cases it was hoped that business
would be successful enough on a small scale to admit of gradual
expansion. Table 56 shows the occupations for which grants
were most frequently given.
TABLE 56.
PROPOSED OCCUPATION OF APPLICANTS RECEIVING
BUSINESS REHABILITATION
Proposed occupation
Boarding and rooming house
Tailor shop
Dressmaking shop
Notions or branch bakery . . . .
Barber shop
Restaurant
Grocery store
Huckster or peddler
Millinery shop
Seamstress
Cigar stand
Boot and shoe making and repairing shop
Physician's equipment . . . .
Printing shop
Drayman
Painting contractor's shop
Other occupations
Total
Applicants who pro-
posed to follow each
specified occupation
256
46
45
33
30
30
24
23
21
20
19
18
18
16
H
14
267
894
Among the 267 cases entered in the table opposite ''other
occupations/' there were 61 occupations with only one repre-
184
HOMOGENEITY OF GRANTEES
sentative each, and 49 with from two to thirteen representatives
each.
6. HOMOGENEITY OF GRANTEES
Of the 2,032 appHcants for business rehabiHtation considered
by the business committee, 464, or about 23 per cent, were refused
business aid, though many who were judged not to be suitable
candidates for business rehabiHtation were given aid for other
purposes. This severe weeding out of candidates for one definite,
speciaHzed form of aid had this result, that those aided were a
group homogeneous to a high degree. This fact was voiced often
by the investigators during the progress of the work and by the
staff that did the re-visiting in 1908, and was mirrored in the uni-
form reports filed by all these visitors. The uniformity shown in
the records was not due to superficial inquiries, for data were
unusually full and often included side-lights on the situation
thrown by old friends, former business associates, former landlords,
and other references. A further indication that the business group
was looked on as being practically homogeneous is the fact that
there were so many unconditional grants of $250. The phenom-
enon of so many of the grants being for exactly $250 may have
been due in part to the efi'ort to make the average grant not more
than one-half* of what was the established $500 maximum grant,
or may have been a reflection of the committee's impression that
there was little to distinguish many of the applicants, one from
another, either as to plight or as to recuperative power.
The applicants that received aid were almost uniformly
persons who had had successful business experience. Most had
founded their own enterprises; none, as far as the records show,
had come into his holding by inheritance, as might have been the
case in an older city; and few by purchase of an established busi-
ness. There were but few of the applicants who had occupied for
any great length of time the place burned out. A shifting popula-
tion and the resultant changes in minor business centers had been
the instruments by which the less fit had been to a great extent
eliminated in the years preceding the disaster.
* See Part II, p. 129, for the result of limiting a committee's power to make
grants larger in amount than ^500.
185
BUSINESS REHABILITATION
7. RESULTS OF BUSINESS REHABILITATION
The nature of the occupations which the 894 re-visited
famiHes that were given aid proposed, with the assistance of the
committee, to re-enter, or, in a few cases, to enter for the first
time, has already been shown. How many of these families,
at the time of the re-visit in 1908, nearly two years later, had
succeeded in getting into and continuing in business? The answer
to this question will go far toward showing the success or failure
of the work of business rehabilitation.
Data showing the status of the grantees in 1908 are presented
in Table 57 and the chart which follows.
TABLE 57. — BUSINESS AND EMPLOYMENT STATUS AT THE TIME OF
THE RE-VISIT, OF APPLICANTS RECEIVING BUSINESS
REHABILITATION
Status of applicants who received aid
CASES IN WHICH APPLICANT'S
STATUS WAS AS SPECIFIED
Number
Per cent
In business as planned
In other business
Employed in line same as former business
Employed in line different from former business
Neither in business nor employed ....
507
36
66
29
256 a
56.7
4.0
74
3-2
28.7
Total
894
lOO.O
a This group includes 29 applicants who were known to have died before
the time of the re-visit.
The table and chart show what the Relief Survey visitors
found in 1908. They found 543, or 60.7 per cent, of the families
in business; 507 in exactly the kind of business contemplated by
the grant, and 36 in business of another sort. A much smaller
group, 95, or 10.6 per cent of the total, were engaged in gainful
occupations, but not as proprietors. Of these 95, 66 were em-
ployed in the same business, and 29 in a different line of business
than before the fire. There remain 256, or 28.7 per cent of the
total number, who were not in business or employed. The visitors
found that of this last group 36 were housewives; eight were
unsettled, their affairs being in a transition state; 33 were de-
pendent; 31 were known to have left San Francisco; 29 were
186
RESULTS OF BUSINESS REHABILITATION
Neither in business nor ^^^^^^^^^_^^^^
employed, 256, or ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H \^^ business as plannedi
2S.7% ^^^^^MMi^Sf I 507, or 56.7%
Employed in line dif-
ferent from former
business, 29, or 3.2%
Employed in line same
as former business,
66, or 7.4%
In other business, 36, or 4%
BUSINESS AND EMPLOYMENT STATUS AT THE TIME OF THE RE-VISIT,
OF 894 APPLICANTS RECEIVING BUSINESS REHABILITATION
known to have died ; and 1 1 9 were not to be found for a personal
interview by the visitors. Of this latter number, 75 had dropped
completely out of sight.
Of the 351 found not to be in business at the time of the re-
visit, 140 are known to have started in business and then dropped
out. The remaining 211, as far as the records show, — some no
doubt for the best, and others for the flimsiest of reasons, — failed
even to get into business.
8. REASONS FOR SUCCESS AND FAILURE
As has been shown in the preceding section, some of the
families aided were as a result of rehabilitation successfully es-
tablished in business, while others either did not embark at all in
business ventures or began business only to discontinue. It is
important to determine as far as possible the causes that resulted
in success in some cases and in failure in others. Among the ques-
tions which, in the judgment of the writer, should be considered in
this connection, are the following:
1 . Was the grant made in a manner suited to the need of the
case?
2. Was the grant timely?
3. Was the grant adequate?
4. Was the location chosen for business a good one?
. 187
BUSINESS REHABILITATION
5. Was the applicant handicapped by ill health of himself or
family?
6. Did the applicant begin business with sufficient capital?
It will be noted that the first three questions relate. to the
deliberate action of the Committee, and involve a judging of its
work by the reviewer. Question 4 relates to the applicant's
ability to secure or his own good fortune in securing proper quarters,
and also involves a judgment by the reviewer. Questions 5 and 6
relate to the circumstances of the applicant.
Manner in Which Grant Was Made. The reviewer for
the Relief Survey in 1908 found in 21 case records strong internal
evidence to the effect that the grant had not been made in the
proper manner. Appropriate safeguards had not been provided to
assure the carrying out of the plan. Of the 21 families, 12 failed
to start in business, one started and gave up, and only eight were
in business in 1908.
Ignoring those who managed to make a start, let us briefly
consider the 12 who failed to do so. A woman who planned to
separate from her husband was granted money to establish a rooming
house to support herself and baby. By mistake the money was
handed to the husband, who kept it and turned her and the child
out of the house. She then obtained a divorce but she never re-
covered the money. A tailor, sixty-one, who claimed he was
" afraid of the high rents,'' spent his grant for living expenses. The
visitor could see no reason why he should not have made a start.
In the other 10 cases there was serious illness or disability in the
families, so the grants were spent to meet doctors', hospital, or un-
dertakers' bills. In each instance the expenditure was an error of
judgment on the part of the beneficiary, as he might have made a
second claim on the relief fund for medical aid until his business
should be on a paying basis. It showed a hesitancy in applying
for relief to be expected on the part of those whose lifelong habit
was to be entirely independent. The 12 families could have been
started in business if the expenditure of the grants had been
supervised by a third person acting as agent of the committee.
The policy of supervision should not have been extended to
all business cases, for the applicants were of all the classes seeking
aid the ones best fitted to put money to good use. But supervision
188
Cigar store of an Itafian cripple
9 4 9 «
' 3 ^
Store owned by a German-Swiss couple
Business Rehabilitation
RESULTS OF BUSINESS REHABILITATION
might well have been extended to all the families which carried
obvious burdens of illness or such handicaps as advancing years,
a visionary outlook, or a lack of initiative. The advantages to be
derived from adequate supervision are shown by the experience
of 35 cases re-visited other than the 21 mentioned above. In all
of these 35 cases the results were mutually satisfactory. In some
cases the supervision was found to have gone no further than the
committee's seeing that a plan was perfected and a location secured;
in others to the extent that an applicant was not allowed to handle
the grant money, it being expended on his behalf by one of the
committee's visitors, by some other organization, or by a personal
friend acting as trustee. Consequently, the 35 started business, and
of the 33 found by the Relief Survey visitors, 23 were still in business.
Guidance in expenditure would undoubtedly have secured
the permanent re-establishment of many a family that through no
fault of its own had dropped hopelessly behind in the race. A
supervised payment by instalments, payments subsequent to a
first instalment being conditional on a square business start having
been made, provided that the first instalment had been adequate
for a start, would have resulted in the canceling of second instal-
ments on grants made to persons with no original intention of re-
entering business or with changed plans.
Timeliness of Grant. The second question, "Was the
grant timely?'' cannot be answered by a positive ''yes" or ''no,"
as the elusive personal equation makes assertions fallible. In
some cases the beneficiary could with reason claim that earlier
aid would have been more eff'ective.
There were a number of cases in which it seems obvious that
the grants were unnecessarily and unduly delayed. Twenty-two
of these families, notwithstanding the obstacle, were in business;
the only comment to be made is that some enterprising and refined
families were left to endure the hardships of camp life months
after they might have been engaged in independent business, had
the machinery and the funds been available.
Among applicants who started in business and later dropped
out there was one man so old that results would probably have been
the same if there had been no delay. In three other instances the
189
BUSINESS REHABILITATION
grants were, in the opinion of the reviewer, inadequate as well as
delayed, a combination well calculated to bring about failure.
Among the families whose grants were delayed and who did
not even start in business there was one man whose grant was de-
layed for six months, because the check was accidentally delivered
to another person of the same name. This man claimed to have
lost good opportunities for starting. Another grant was delayed
forty days, not an unusual length of time, but in the interval the
subjects, a refined American woman and her elderly husband,
had suffered irreparably. The wife had injured herself doing
unsuitable work and had died, leaving the man powerless to open
the rooming house they had planned together. Another appli-
cant, one of the many whose cases were shelved from three to four
months during the dispiriting period of arrested progress, had a
friend who was ready at the time of the application to loan money
to add to the relief grant for starting a notion store. Three months
later the friend's circumstances had changed, and with the relief
money alone the applicant dared not make the venture. The
predicament of three other applicants was much the same. By
the time they received their business grants, late in the winter of
1 906, every cent of their insurance money had been used for living
expenses. Another illustrative story is that of a German cobbler
with a frail wife and two young children, who after the disaster had
$100 in savings. He bought tools, but as he could not support his
family by cobbling alone and his savings were gone, he asked for a
business grant. When he was finally given $200 to stock a small
shop with shoes to sell, he and his family had been sleeping on the
floor for six months.
Adequacy of Grant. Inadequate aid, in the estimation of
many of the applicants, was the one stumbling block in the path
to satisfactory re-establishment. This question, like the two
which have preceded it, must be recognized as having an illusory
quality. In the opinion of the reviewer the complaint of inade-
quacy was justified in slightly over 100 cases, in about three-fourths
of which the grants were lower than the average grant of ^247.
Of the 894 grants under consideration, only 52 were for
$500* or over, and 162 grants, or nearly one-fifth of the total,
* See Part II, pp. 128-129, for explanation of limitation of grants to less than $500.
190
RESULTS OF BUSINESS REHABILITATION
were for exactly $250, from which it appears that the latter figure
was firmly lodged in the minds of the disbursers of the fund. But
one in nine of the re-visited applicants who received business re-
habilitation, received grants for other purposes. The average
amount given to those who did receive such subsidiary aid was
^83.75.
The ultra-cautious policy of the initial rehabilitation work
was early changed. Between June i and July 7, 1906, 21 checks
for more than $100 each had been drawn for business rehabilita-
tion, the two highest being each for $400. By the middle of July,
four checks for $500 had been drawn for business cases. Before
the end of July, a $900 business loan was made. A scanning of
the early case records shows that the committeemen were careful
to give the exact amount needed.
During the third rehabilitation period the size of the busi-
ness grants was much smaller than in the preceding period, two-
fifths of the grants being under ^100 each and four-fifths less than
^200. The average grant for the 123 re-visited cases which had
been passed during the second period was $305.77; for the 73
passed during the third period, $191.16; for the 698 passed during
the fourth period, $242.26. Of applicants who received aid in the
third period, the period of arrested progress, when the grants were
small, a materially smaller proportion were in business at the time
of the review, than of those who received grants in the second and
fourth periods.
A few examples show the fate of some applicants who were
given prompt, but apparently inadequate aid.
An elderly woman who applied for $250 for a rooming house
was given $100. She is doing well, but had to incur a heavy debt
which by close management, hard work, and with great mental
anxiety she has been able to pay off.
A family of five, the father sixty-three, the mother fifty-
seven, and their children, were given $150 for a rooming house.
They took a six-room flat and by subletting two rooms met their
rent. But their plan was to take a larger house which would
bring in enough to provide more than the equivalent of rent and
191
BUSINESS REHABILITATION
which with the supplementary small wages of a son and daughter
in their teens, would have made a fair income.
A tailor was given $125 to add to his own limited resources
in order to open a shop, but as he couldn't make good he sold his
shop and is now a bushelman.
Favorable Location. After the fire there was naturally
for a time a scarcity of desirable locations for business. With
ready money in hand, those applicants who were keen to judge
and prompt to act secured the best places, while many were left
to take locations with which they were not satisfied and which
proved to be unprofitable.
In some instances locations good at first became undesirable
through the shifting of the population; certain business centers
proved to be but temporary and had to be abandoned like a sink-
ing ship by all who had begun business there. The man who did
not have money to move when his first location proved unfit, had
to fail or discontinue.
The proportion of re-visited applicants who, having been
assisted to engage in business, were still in business, was materially
larger among those applicants who, in the judgment of the re-
viewer, secured satisfactory locations than among those whose
locations seemed less favorable. As is suggested in the preceding
sentence, the quality of a business location is largely a matter of
opinion. If a business succeeds it is easy to conclude that its
location is good; if it fails a poor location is a ready excuse.
Here, again, a definite estimate is made nugatory by the intrusion
of underlying queries relative to the applicants. How adaptable
were they? How far sighted? How much initiative had they?
To such as were lacking in any of these qualities a favorable loca-
tion did not always mean success.
Health of Applicants and Families. Serious illness in
the family tended, of course, to interfere with the carrying out
of a business plan. The outcome of business rehabilitation in
cases where there was no serious handicap of this nature, and in
those where such a handicap existed, is shown by Table 58.
192
RESULTS OF BUSINESS REHABILITATION
TABLE 58. — BUSINESS STATUS AT THE TIME OF THE RE-VISIT OF
APPLICANTS RECEIVING BUSINESS REHABILITATION,
BY HEALTH OF FAMILIES^
APPLICANT
Health of family
In business
Not in
business
Total
Family all well or without serious
handicap
Family seriously handicapped by ill
health
448
95
249
73
697
168
Total
543
322
865
a Of the 894 families investigated, 29 lost the applicant by death before
the time of the re-visit.
Since the business grant was given in behalf of the family
as a whole, the health of the whole family including that of the
head has been considered. Of the 697 families without serious
handicap, 448, or 64 per cent, were in business at the time of the
re-visit, while 95 of the 168 families handicapped by ill health, or
57 per cent, were in business. This latter proportion seems rela-
tively high. Many a man or woman in frail health can see that
his hope for security lies in maintaining a small business against
all odds. The man with more capital and better health has a
chance to make a better income, but he who is without the alter-
native of employment for wages cannot permit himself to be
deterred. A further study of the records seems to indicate that,
among the applicants still in business, the proportion who were
doing poorly is decidedly smaller in the case of those not handi-
capped by ill health than in the case of those burdened by a handi-
cap of this nature, whether slight or serious.
Capital Available. The part played by the amount of
capital available for starting afresh in business was an important
one. The term capital as here used includes the grant, and other
resources, if any, such as equipment or stock saved from the fire,
insurance, savings, gifts, loans, and credit. Table 59 shows the
numbers starting business with given amounts of capital, and shows
what part the grant played therein.
13
193
BUSINESS REHABILITATION
TABLE 59. — AMOUNT OF GRANTS TO AND OF CAPITAL AVAILABLE FOR
APPLICANTS RECEIVING BUSINESS REHABILITATION^
Amount of grant or of grant and capital
Cases in which
grant was as
specified
Cases in which
capital available
for business, in-
clusive of grant,
was as specified
Less than S^oo
J300 and less than $500
$500 and less than $700
$700 and less than $1,000 ....
Si .<>(^(> to S^,ooo
476
»59
58
I
231
121
145
89
108
Total
694
694
a Of the 894 families investigated, 200 failed to supply information relative
to capital available.
It has already been seen that grants ranged in amount from
less than $ioo to $900. The amount of capital available for start-
ing business varied from less than ^300 to as high as ^5,000.
More than two-thirds of all persons in this group received less than
$300 cash from the committee. By virtue of other resources which
some of the group had on hand or managed to secure, 463, or
almost exactly two-thirds of the entire number, had $300 or more
available for starting business.
In general, the rehabilitation committee adhered to its
announced policy of helping only those that were accustomed to
doing business on a small scale. Even among these, however,
there were degrees. For clarity, as the division seems a convenient
one, the discussion that follows will recognize two groups: one of
497 persons whose available capital including grants was less than
$700, and one of 197 persons who had $700 or more available for
the start. These will be spoken of as the low capital and the high
capital groups respectively. In a similar way, grants for business
rehabilitation consisting of less than feoo will be referred to as
small grants, and grants of from $300 to $1,000 as large grants.
Of the 497 members of the low capital group, 380 received
small grants and 1 17 large grants; while of the 197 members of the
high capital group, 96 received small grants and the remaining loi
large grants. Thus the proportion of applicants who received
194
RESULTS OF BUSINESS REHABILITATION
large grants was much larger in the case of the high capital group
than in the case of the low capital group — an application, doubtless
justifiable, of the scriptural principle, "unto him that hath shall
be given."
The members of the high capital group who received small
grants were possessed of other resources so considerable that the
grant was, in many instances, but a small fraction of the capital
available for business. In such cases, the grant derived its im-
portance and its justification from the fact that it was in the form
of cash. The possession of a certain amount of ready money was
always necessary to secure a site, and was often a necessary condi-
tion of obtaining credit.
Whether or not a given capital is sufficient for a business
venture will depend largely on the nature of the business entered;
and, as has elsewhere been noted, the successful applicants for
relief engaged in many different and highly diversified under-
takings. The discussion of the adequacy of capital and of the
relation of capital to grants will therefore be deferred to the fol-
lowing chapter, in which the recipients of business relief will be
considered in occupational groups.
Summary. Outward circumstances have much to do with
the success of a business enterprise: the time, the place, and the
money form a strong combination, and with health thrown in for
good measure the combination is almost proof against disaster
provided the right man make use of the combination. A com-
mittee disbursing business aid which patiently eliminated those
doomed to fail, could get practically all of its beneficiaries started
if it were left free-handed throughout the whole period of relief
distribution to make well-timed and adequate grants, and if it
spent enough on administration to allow for the supervising of
grants whenever character and circumstances indicated the ad-
visability of doing so. It may be noted that the 45 persons who
in the judgment of the reviewer received timely aid, properly
given, to the extent of $250 or as much more as was needed;
persons who had resources to equal or exceed the grant, who were
in good health, and who secured what seem to have been good loca-
tions, had started in business. Only three of the 45 had discon-
tinued business, and of these, one had only temporarily discontinued.
195
II
ANALYSIS BY OCCUPATIONS, STUDY OF REFUSALS
AND SUMMARY
1. SUCCESS OR FAILURE IN RELATION TO OCCUPATIONS
THE proportion of applicants aided who succeeded in estab-
lishing themselves in business varied to a certain extent
with the occupation entered. Sufficient data relative to
the occupations and success in business could be secured for
only 702 of the 894 applicants visited in 1908. The table next
presented shows for the different occupational groups the number
of cases in which grants of each specified nature were made and
the proportion of these cases that were still in business at the time
of the re-visit.
TABLE 60. — BUSINESS STATUS AT THE TIME OF THE RE-VISIT OF
APPLICANTS RECEIVING BUSINESS REHABILITATION, BY
OCCUPATIONS^
Applicants
whose occu-
pations were
as specified
I
APPLICANTS IN BUSINESS
IN 1908
Nature of occupation
Number
Per cent of
all applicants
receiving
grants
Professional
Manufacturing and mechanical indus-
tries
Trade
Personal and domestic service
Transportation and miscellaneous pur-
suits
79
183
175
249
16
68
146
124
168
7
86.1
80.0
70.9
67.5
43.8
Total
702
513
73.1
a In this table data are presented for only the 702 applicants of the 894
investigated for whom complete information relative to occupation and business
success or failure was secured.
196
ANALYSIS AND SUMMARY
The occupations shown in the table are not necessarily those
for which the grants were given, but the occupations in which
appHcants were found engaged in 1908.
If one thing stands out more clearly than another it is, that
following a disaster, persons who seek to re-establish themselves
in professional or manufacturing pursuits have a much higher
expectation of success than those that seek to re-establish them-
selves in trade or as proprietors in some branch of personal and
domestic service, such as a restaurant or a rooming house.
On an earlier page it has been noted that some applicants
were unable to make a start because of lack of capital. Lack of
capital was less seriously felt by those having mechanical or pro-
fessional skill, to whom the amount of capital held appeared to be
of slight moment, than by those in the two remaining groups.
The relation of capital to success in the trade and in the personal
service groups is treated, therefore, at some length in connection
with the detailed discussion of these groups.
The Professional Group
Of the 88 members of the professional group re-visited, 79
whose cases furnished data complete on the points to be considered
are here studied. As for the grants made, none exceeded $500 and
50 were for $250 or less. Those whose offices, studios, and in
many cases, homes also, had been burned, had little left in the way
of material possessions. Twenty persons are noted on the visitors'
schedules as having had no resources other than their grants.
The amounts with which the members of this group essayed to re-
establish themselves were as follows: 34, less than ^500; 24,^500
and less than $700; and only 21, $700 or more. The outcome by
1 908 was: of the first group 29 were still in business; of the second,
20; and of the third, 19. There were eight who had not started,
and three who had started and discontinued.
In the cases of those that did start, the grant was as a rule
applied as a cash payment toward equipment. The difference
between the amount of capital and the amount of the grant, in
general, measures the amount of credit allowed by wholesalers
in the purchase of instruments and equipment. The proportion
of success is high even among those with least capital at their
197
BUSINESS REHABILITATION
disposal, and no direct relation is to be discovered between amount
of capital and success except in the cases of a dentist and a pho-
tographer who were found to be working for wages and to be adding
savings to their grants so as to start later with better equipment.
Six others, as stated above, also failed to start. A woman pianist
married and gave up her profession. A woman physician accepted
a position in her alma mater as an instructor. A stenographer
took a position on salary instead of opening her own office. An
elderly music teacher became a chronic invalid and was admitted
to the Relief Home. A man who had wanted to resume his work
of giving electric treatments took instead a position with the city
board of health and the visitor who saw him thinks he did not
intend to resume his old line. Supervision of his grant of $250
would have tested his good faith. Another case which should
have been supervised was that of an elderly showman who was
given $450 to replace the tent used to house the wax figures of his
quaint historical show. He spent most of the business grant for
an operation to restore the failing sight of his elderly wife. A
supervisor could have arranged for surgical care without inter-
fering with rehabilitation.
Three cases, as noted, started but to discontinue. A phy-
sician who had received $450 from the Rehabilitation Committee
and $100 from the Physicians' Fund, opened an office; then,
having closed it ''on account of dull times,'' left the city. A
gymnasium director set up his equipment, but found his location
a poor one; therefore he stored his apparatus and closed his place
until he should find a better. A public stenographer had typist's
cramp from overwork. When able to resume work, he took a
salaried position. More careful investigation and supervision of
the eleven unsuccessful cases would probably have resulted in
withholding the grant from one man, and getting one other into
business. But as a group the applicants accomplished all that
was possible under the circumstances, and that without the use
of large sums of money.
Manufacturing and Mechanical Group
An almost equally high degree of success attended the efforts
of 183 persons engaged in manufacturing and mechanical industries.
198
Owner aided by Rehabilitation Grant and money privrively loaned
> 3 >
) 3
Hat maker aided by a Rehabilitation Grant
Business Rehabilitation
c
c-
I <■
( c f
r c.
( c
c «
ANALYSIS AND SUMMARY
Thes6 were largely tailors, dressmakers, shoemakers, painters,
and metal workers. In the group of 79 in which capital was
under $300, the attempts at rehabilitation of 50, or less than two-
thirds, were successful. In the group of 104 with more capital,
the showing was higher. The 26 who had $1,000 or more were
without exception successful.
There were 23 who started business and discontinued, and
14 who did not start. Among these 37 cases, 10 failures appear
to be due principally to lack of capital, but the 27 remaining
failures are to be attributed largely to other causes, among which
unfortunate choice of location and ill health complicated with old
age are uppermost. Two examples must suflfice:
A shoemaker, aged sixty-six, presented a plan to Committee
VI which definitely called for $400 to buy a half interest in a given
shop. He was granted $250, but as he could make no satisfactory
arrangements with his proposed partner he began working at
wages. A younger man with that amount of cash might have
started a shop of his own, but this was too much to expect of one
of his age. Another, a much younger man, failed to make a
success of his bakeshop. He leased a lot on which to build his shop
and invested in equipment his capital of $500. When competition
sprang up around him, he could neither afford to move nor to remodel
his shop in order to rent it to some one else for another purpose.
Perhaps one-half of the foregoing 37 failures could have been
averted or mitigated by intelligent oversight. As a rule, however,
it is safe to assume that persons with the skill to do mechanical
work require less supervision than do those of the groups we are
to discuss in the following sections.
Transportation and Miscellaneous Group
Of the 16 members of this group, seven were established in
business at the time of the re-visit. Grants were given to 12 men
to start as teamsters or draymen. Ten of the 12 men bought
teams, but only four were still in business in 1908. The price of
hay was high, and work at wages easy to obtain; the two men who
made no start became wage-earners. One man who was given
money to acquire a messenger service, had been successful. Of the
three remaining grantees of this group, one started a chicken farm
199
BUSINESS REHABILITATION
which was running with fair success; another, a cleaning and dyeing
estabhshment which was successful; and the third, a venture of
the last named kind which had failed in the first month. This last
proprietor after his failure had left the city.
In considering the relatively small number of successes among
the members of this group, it must be remembered that the number
of cases is too small for the data to be truly representative.
Personal and Domestic Service Group
Just as a small manufacturing enterprise is the avenue
through which skilled artisans seek by becoming small proprietors
to reach independence, so rooming and boarding houses, barber
shops, restaurants, laundries, and the like are the roads along which
individuals of a less skilled class travel to reach the same end.
The cheap rooming houses of today are often run by the char-
women of yesterday; the better grade houses, by widowed house-
wives of somewhat higher station; the barber shops, by erstwhile
barber's helpers; and the small restaurants and lunch counters,
by one-time cooks. Competition is extreme because persons
accustomed to small earnings are constantly entering these fields
with their little hoard of savings, ready to be satisfied with very
moderate returns. In the long run, business ability tells in this
as in all other lines of enterprise, but to this class adequacy of
equipment and suitable location are of relatively more importance
than in other forms of enterprise previously discussed.
In a city changing as rapidly as San Francisco changed for
the first three years after the fire, the wisest could not tell with
certainty how long a certain locality would remain desirable for
his purposes. Some persons, in order to avoid prohibitive rents,
signed leases for one or two years, which held them in poor loca-
tions after their better judgment told them they should move to
keep near their shifting patrons. Under such circumstances two
or three hundred dollars in the bank, or even less, might mean
the difference between success and failure.
Where competition is close it makes a very great difi'erence
whether the equipm^ent is owned outright or whether considerable
monthly cash instalments must be paid. It is true that in ordinary
times clever persons can fit up rooming houses and rent all the rooms
200
ANALYSIS AND SUMMARY
at a "fair profit. But ordinarily the small house at best offers a
woman nothing more than an opportunity to be her own employer at
very moderate wages ; her fate depending, at each recurring crisis, on
a cash reserve sufficient to carry her over a dull period, or to enable
her to win in an endurance test with a nearby competitor. Rooming
houses are spoken of specifically because more than three-fourths of
the grants for personal service enterprises were given for this purpose.
As has been shown by Table 60, of 249 applicants visited
in 1908 who had been given aid for personal and domestic service
and for whom data have been tabulated, 168, or almost 68 per
cent, were still in business at the time of the re-visit.
In this group the tendency of committeemen, already com-
mented on, to make grants about uniform in amount is clearly
seen. In fact, 105, or more than two-fifths of the 249 cases dis-
cussed in this section, received grants that were $200, and less
than $300. It was understood that many of the enterprises
required a considerably larger capital, but the business committee
had the theory that given a sum of $200 or ^250 any normally
enterprising person could "raise'' the rest. Many applicants
did so, but not all. By sub-dividing the 245 cases in which the
amount of capital is known into three groups we are able to see the
respective parts played by the relief grant and the applicants'
other resources. The figures are given in Table 61 .
TABLE 61. — BUSINESS STATUS AT THE TIME OF THE RE-VISIT OF
APPLICANTS RECEIVING BUSINESS REHABILITATION FOR PER-
SONAL AND DOMESTIC SERVICE, BY SIZE OF GRANTS AND
AMOUNT OF CAPITAL^
CASES IN WHICH
CAPITAL WAS LOW
Cases in
which
capital
was high
Business status
Grant
small
Grant
large
Total
In business at time of revisit
Started and discontinued .
Did not start
66
29
27
41
7
5
57
9
4
164
45
36
Total
122
53
70
245
a Information relative to the amount of capital was secured for only 245 of
the 249 applicants receiving business rehabilitation for personal and domestic ser-
vice concerning whom data are presented in Table 60.
201
BUSINESS REHABILITATION
The classification of capital as high and low, and of grants as
large and small, has been discussed in the preceding chapter. The
first group dealt with in the table, which will be called for con-
venience the small-grant low-capital group, consists of persons
whose grant was less than ^300 and whose capital available for
business, including grant, was less than $700. Their enterprises
in general were those of side streets and out-of-the-way locations.
The second group, known as the large-grant low-capital group,
is made up of persons whose grant was $300 or more, but whose
entire capital was no more than $700. They were largely persons
whose previous enterprises had been capitalized at over ^700 and
to whom the Rehabilitation Committee gave liberal grants with the
idea that the applicant would go into debt for the balance needed.
There remains a third group of the high-capital group which
was previously capitalized at from $700 up and which expected
to go into business in fairly prominent locations, on something
like the old scale. As its members had considerable resources,
the grant, while it played an important part in the applicant's
rehabilitation, was not the sole factor determining a start. Such
was frequently the case in the two low-capital groups. The dis-
tinction between large grants and small grants, as it is of much less
importance to the members of this group than to the members of
the two low-capital groups, has not been indicated in the table.
It will be noted from the table that the proportion of appli-
cants aided who were in business at the time of the re-visit was
largest for the high-capital group, and much larger for the large-
grant low-capital group than for the small-grant low-capital group.
Brief consideration will now be given to each of the three groups.
The small-grant low-capital group has 122 members. Of
its members 93 were given aid to open boarding and rooming
houses, 1 5 to open barber or hairdressing establishments, eight to
start restaurants, three to start laundries, and three to set up boot-
blacking stands. Nearly two-thirds of the group were widows,
and 57 were persons or couples living alone.
At the time the grants were made, 93, or more than three-
fourths of this group, had no other resources; 27 had savings,
collectible insurance, or real estate available for business. Data
are lacking as to the resources of the two remaining individuals.
202
ANALYSIS AND SUMMARY
Ft was the hope of the Rehabilitation Committee that the
large proportion of persons who came empty-handed, would, on
receipt of a lump sum in itself insufficient to establish a business,
develop latent resources. Such was often the result. Of the 93
cases mentioned above as having no before-fire resources, 46 re-
ceived cash gifts other than the relief grant, negotiated friendly
loans, or were allowed credit with former dealers. The mani-
festly right function of a relief grant of money for business is dis-
tribution such as will not supplant aid from other sources. But
what of the small grants given to persons who could by neither
hook nor crook obtain a supplemental sum? Forty-six of the 93
did succeed in getting help from other sources, and with three
exceptions, made a start. Forty-seven did not succeed in getting
help from other sources, 19 of whom failed to start. Of this 47,
more than one-third were past the age of fifty. It is precisely in
the cases of these individuals who have no other resources that
supervising visitors would prove useful in devising ways and means
to get a venture launched, arranging if necessary for a further
committee grant.
An inspection of the case records seems to show that the
members of the small-grant low-capital group who increased their
resources by borrowing were, on the whole, more successful than
those who did not borrow. Of the 50 applicants who went into
debt, 34, about two-thirds, were found in business in 1908, while
of the 70 who incurred no debt, only 30, considerably less than one-
half, were in business. In the two remaining cases of the 122, the
data were incomplete. The plan of the Rehabilitation Committee
then, which was to have applicants use their grants as the means of
a start on a credit basis, seems justified as applied to those indi-
viduals who have the courage to assume necessary debts.
The applicants who did not go into debt seem to have been
ultra-conservative persons for whom the rehabilitation program
was too strenuous. Doubtless for the most part they did well not
to go into debt. Most probably these were frugal souls who had
never incurred risks but had saved their wages and not made their
original start until they could equip a business for cash. After-
wards they had doubtless continued, as they started, paying cash
as they went along. It is not to be expected of those who have
203
BUSINESS REHABILITATION
done business on a cash basis all their lives, that, when the passing
years have done their work of lessening initiative, they should
cheerfully and confidently assume a burden of debt. It would
seem to be the duty of a relief committee to recognize the handicap
on those trying to earn their living through business who never
possessed the initiative of the typical business man, have been
robbed of it by age or ill health, or have been made conservative
by domestic responsibilities.
The 122 cases of the small-grant low-capital group comprise
one-half of the re-visited persons to whom aid had been given for
enterprises in personal or domestic service. In view of the fact that
but 66 of the 122, slightly over one-half, were in business in 1908,
it seems evident that a considerable number of these families (i)
should not have been given money except for household rehabilita-
tion, (2) should have been given sums materially larger in amount,
or (3) should have been given the advantage of expert supervision.
Before leaving the subject of rehabilitation in personal
service, it will be well to note briefly the remaining 123 cases, which
number divide themselves into a large-grant low-capital group of
53 cases and a high-capital group of 70 cases.
The occupations of the members of the large-grant low-capital
group were much the same as the foregoing; of the 53 in this group,
40 secured grants for boarding and rooming houses, seven for
barber shops, and six for restaurants. As in the case of the pre-
ceding group, a number of the applicants went into debt in order
to increase their capital available for business; and again the Relief
Survey records show that those who incurred debt were, in general,
more successful than those who did not. Extreme care must,
however, be exercised in formulating conclusions because of the
small number of cases involved.
The 70 persons in the high-capital group represent higher
standards and more ambitious plans than the members of the pre-
ceding groups. The grants were often small in amount because
the applicant's resources were known to be substantial. Capital
ranged in this group from $700 to nearly $3,000. Again, rooming
houses are in the ascendancy. There were 56 grants for this
purpose, seven for restaurants, three for barber shops, two for
laundries, one for a towel supply concern, and one for a window-
204
ANALYSIS AND SUMMARY
cleaning enterprise. The families were constituted much as in the
small-grant low-capital group, over two-fifths being individuals or
couples living alone. Among the 175 cases of the two low-capital
groups, in which capital was under $700, only one-fifth of the num-
ber had savings, insurance, or real estate available for business.
In this high-capital group 36, or more than half of the cases, had
resources.
Twenty-five out of the 36 who had resources, and every one
of the 34 who were without resources, went into debt, and all but
four of the 70 started business. In the low-capital groups those
who stayed out of debt exceeded those who incurred it. In this
group, the great majority had gone into debt, even including the
greater number of those who had insurance or savings in addition
to their grant.
Of 1 1 applicants who avoided debt, three did not start in
business, but eight who did so remained in business; while of the
remaining 59, who borrowed, all but one started, and 49 remained
in business. Because of the small number of cases, and par-
ticularly of cases in which no debt was assumed, these figures must
not be construed as establishing a relationship between success
and borrowing or failing to borrow.
Some comparisons between these three groups are suggestive.
It seems that the families in the small-grant low-capital group must
have needed much more money than they had, or so many would
not have failed to get into business as planned. The small grants
they received were not enough to encourage them to incur a
moderate debt and go ahead. Consequently, only slightly over
one-half succeeded in establishing themselves in business.
Persons in the large-grant low-capital group appear not to
have needed much additional assistance, for while considerably
over half of them got along without incurring debt, over three-
fourths were established in business.
Those in the high-capital group needed sums of ^700 or
more to resume business on anything like the old scale. The
grants they received were in many cases actually, and in most
cases relatively, small. Even though many had substantial re-
sources, yet nearly all went into debt. That the capital with
which members of this group entered business was, in general,
205
BUSINESS REHABILITATION
sufficient, seems to be indicated by the fact that 57 of the 70 were
in business at the time of the re-visit.
Trade Group
The success of small trade enterprises is affected in the
confusion of post-disaster conditions and, in the absence of expert
supervision, almost as much by the amount of capital available as
is personal and domestic service. Like the keeping of rooming
houses and other branches of personal service, trade is looked
upon by the unskilled as an easy means of earning a livelihood.
But the prizes in trade are, as a matter of fact, reserved for those
rare few who have the special sense for perceiving the "elusive
value that hovers now here and now there/' The average citizen,
if he is to make even a modest living by trade, needs certain material
advantages to compensate him for the lack of that keen economic
sense possessed by the shining few who started with the traditional
pack and are now numbered among our merchant princes. When
the everyday citizen sets out to peddle, he must have a horse, a
place to keep him, hay to feed him while he lives, and money
enough to make a payment down on another if he dies. If the
business is to be in a shop, it must be fairly well located, and de-
cently equipped with fixtures and stock. He can go into debt
for fixtures, but as a rule he can get little credit for stock, especially
if it is a mixed stock, like that of a notion store, or perishable
stock, such as food stuff. In fact, the only shop keeper sure of
holding his own in the face of universal competition is the one
who can pay a fair amount of rent from the start, can buy attrac-
tive fixtures for cash, pay cash for all goods, — thus avoiding
interest charges on deferred payments, — and have enough margin
left to extend credit, when necessary, to customers and to carry
stock over a dull season. Such business does not from the start
necessarily include shelter for the family as is the case with a
rooming house. It is often many months before the net income
is sufficient adequately to support more than one person.
So much for the average citizen, starting business on his own
capital, or given a lump sum by a relief committee and left, with-
out supervision, to run the risk of making costly if not irre-
trievable mistakes.
206
» ■»
, ■> '
^s
O o
1 o
i
•
3 »
5 3 3
3 3 3
50 )
3 3 3
c '
ANALYSIS AND SUMMARY
jt has already been seen that, of the 175 appHcants given
assistance for trade, 124, or about 71 per cent, were in business
at the time of the visit in 1908. In three cases satisfactory data
relative to capital could not be secured. The 172 remaining cases
have been classified, like the persons aided in personal and do-
mestic service, on the basis of capital and grants. Table 62 shows
for the small-grant low-capital group, for the large-grant low-
capital group, and for the high-capital group the number of appli-
cants in business at the time of the Relief Survey, those who
started but discontinued, and the number who did not start.
TABLE 62. — BUSINESS STATUS AT THE TIME OF THE RE-VISIT OF
APPLICANTS RECEIVING BUSINESS REHABILITATION FOR TRADE,
BY SIZE OF GRANTS AND AMOUNT OF CAPITAL^
T^ • AM
CASES IN WHICH
CAPITAL WAS LOW
CASES IN
WHICH
CAPITAL
WAS HIGH
Business status
Grant
small
Grant
large
Total
In business at time of re-visit .
Started and discontinued .
Did not start
54
14
19
20
7
4
50
4
• •
124
25
23
Total
87
31
54
172
^ Information relative to amount of capital was secured for only 172 of the
175 applicants receiving business rehabilitation for trade concerning whom data
are presented in Table 60.
It will be seen that the proportion of apphcants remaining
in business was very high for members of the high-capital group,
and only very slightly higher for the members of the large-grant
low-capital group than for the members of the small-grant low-
capital group.
Of the re-visited applicants who were given rehabilitation
for trade, 87, or about one-half, fall within the small-grant low-
capital group. Some of the 87 proposed to become peddlers, can-
vassers, or agents, but the majority planned to be merchants or
dealers. Notion stores, branch bakeries, cigar stands, grocery
stores, millinery stores, tea and coffee routes, and stationery stores
were among the enterprises contemplated. Two-thirds of the
207
BUSINESS REHABILITATION
families either had no dependents or had wage-earners to supple-
ment the income from the business. The proportion entirely
without resources is high, being 62 out of 87. Twenty-six incurred
indebtedness in order to engage in business; and of these, 23 were
in business in 1908. Of the 61 who did not borrow, only 31
remained in business.
It seems that to start a small enterprise, grants of under %oo
to persons who could not bring their capital to a point between
^500 and $700 without assuming an unwieldy debt, were too small,
in the absence of close supervision, to assure their restoration
within a reasonable length of time to a normal standard of living.
The large-grant low-capital trade group had but 3 1 members.
Nearly half of the number were families with dependents and
without wage-earners. Their enterprises were of the same charac-
ter as were those of the small-grant group. Only eight of the 31
went into debt, and the amounts they obtained were in no case as
much as the grant. Six of the eight remained in business. Of the
23 that did not borrow, 14 remained in business. Because of the
small number of cases involved, no conclusions should be drawn as
to the relation between success and borrowing.
There remain of the trade enterprises a high-capital group
of 54 persons in half as many different lines of buying and selling.
Over half of these families had dependents, most of the families
having dependents being couples with from one to five young chil-
dren. Four-fifths of all the families had before-fire resources.
The persons who contracted indebtedness numbered 42, and of
these, 39 were in business at the time of the re-visit. Eleven
of the 12 families who did not borrow were in business. Because
of the similarity of the proportion of successes among those who
incurred indebtedness and among those who did not, and because
of the small numbers involved, conclusions would be worse than
valueless.
2. STUDY OF REFUSALS
One hundred and six persons who had applied for aid for
business and had been refused were visited in 1908, and most of
them were located and personally interviewed. The visitors had
dreaded to meet these disappointed applicants face to face, and
were agreeably surprised to find that most of them were quite
208
ANALYSIS AND SUMMARY
willing- to be interviewed and for the most part bore the Rehabilita-
tion Committee no ill-will. The many who were doing well were
proud to have achieved success without aid; and those who had
failed to get into business and were doing poorly, were pleased to
have some one on whom to lay the blame. Only one man refused
point blank to give an interview.
Except for showing a preponderance of married couples, the
families to whom aid was refused were constituted about as were
those families to whom aid was given. They had in general much
more extensive resources than the grantees, though 13 had no
resources whatever and 22 others had less than $500.
The reasons for which aid was refused were in general more
technical than those for which assistance of a less specialized nature
was denied. Six were refused, in fact, because their character and
habits were thought to be such as would militate against success;
two were remitted to the care of near relatives; and two were
found to have rehabilitated themselves unaided. Ten only were
refused because they had not been in business before the fire; and
20 because they presented no feasible plan or because they wanted
to start saloons, which latter proposal, naturally, the Committee
could not approve. Five were refused because they wanted to
be re-established on a large scale. The largest grant the Com-
mittee could have given them would have been too small for their
needs. The remaining 61 were refused because they were judged
able to rehabilitate themselves, if not in business, then through
wage-earning.
Of the 106 refused grants by the Committee, 42 did not start
business, but 62 started without the aid applied for. Two of
those refused had died. Of the 62 who entered business, eight
failed and the remaining 54 were still in business in 1908. Failure
to start was much more general among the candidates for re-
habilitation in personal service than among those who sought aid
for manufacturing or mechanical enterprises, which serves to em-
phasize what has been said as to the greater expectation of success
in the lines involving mechanical skill.
As was to be expected from the fact that exhaustive investiga-
tion was not attempted by the Rehabilitation Committee in 1906,
a certain number of the refusals appeared, in the judgment of the
14 209
BUSINESS REHABILITATION
reviewer, to have been unjustified. There were 23 such instances.
In 12 of them conditions were not without remedy. Reports on
seven of the cases were submitted to the RehabiHtation Com-
mittee, and grants of from $250 to ^350 each were promptly made.
Five other families were found in which circumstances had
changed so as to make aid advisable. To the 12 families, the
sum of $3,090 altogether was distributed in 1908.
3. SUMMARY OF THE RESULTS OF BUSINESS REHABILITATION
Business rehabilitation was successful, then, to the extent
that of the 894 applicants aided who were visited, 683 started in
business and 543 were still in business in 1908.* Of the 211
applicants who received grants, but did not enter business, 10
are known to have died; 63 abandoned altogether their plans for
entering business; 21 modified their plans as stated to the Com-
mittee, or substituted other plans; 10 spent their grants for housing,
furniture, or living expenses; and one invested the grant in his
son's business. Data as to the 106 remaining cases are lacking.
It seemed to the reviewer unlikely that any of the 63 appli-
cants who had abandoned the idea of going into business at the
time of the grant would ever enter business again. Thirty-nine
were working for wages, nine were housewives, and nine were
dependent. Data concerning six are incomplete.
As to the causes of the breaking down of the plans for re-
habilitation presented to the Committee, the amount of capital
available appears to have played its part. While for nine of the
63 cases in which the plan broke down utterly, the amount of
capital was not known, in only nine of the remaining 54 cases, or
about 1 7 per cent, was the capital as large as ^500. Of those, on
the other hand, who merely modified their plans, or who substituted
others, over half had J500 or more working capital. In 57 cases
it is known how the grant was spent: in 20 instances it went for
general living expenses; in 1 1 instances for illness and in six others
for funeral expenses; in 11 for household furniture; in three for
housing; in two for clothing; in two for old debts; in one for a
typewriter; and in one for transportation.
In 42 of the 63 cases of breakdown of the plan, there is strong
* See Table 57, p. 186.
210
ANALYSIS AND SUMMARY
internal evidence that the grant was either inadequate (23 cases),
given too late (eight cases) ; or given without supervision, of which
there was an obvious need (i 1 cases). In six cases the applicant
appears to have been deficient in enterprise, and in 1 1 cases the
applicant's circumstances changed after receiving the grant. Of
the four remaining cases little is known.
Sickness and death and household and personal needs con-
sumed more than three-fifths of the diverted grants. In the sum-
mer and fall of 1906 the members of the Rehabilitation Committee
often shaved down grants because of a perfectly natural fear of a
future shortage of funds. A mental habit of caution was being
formed during these months of uncertainty which without doubt
aff'ected Committee VI in its later handling of some 1,690 cases.
Some of these applications were very properly refused. The 894
re-visited applicants who were aided were given grants averaging
$247. With the half million dollars that Committee VI had on
hand, the grants could have been made to average $400 for the
1,226 grantees aided by this committee. Doubtless grants of
such an amount, augmented when necessary to provide money
for furniture and clothing, coupled with more frequent supervision,
would have reduced materially the number that failed to re-estab-
lish. Failures would then have been largely confined to those few
persons who showed themselves deficient in enterprise, or whose
circumstances changed so completely after receipt of the grant as
to make re-establishment impossible.
211
PART IV
HOUSING REHABILITATION
Part IV
HOUSING REHABILITATION
I. General Plan of Housing Work
1. Introductory .
2. Retrospective
3. The General Plan
II. The Camp Cottages
1 . General Cost .
2. Families Occupying the Cottages
3. Wages and Occupations
4. Housing Before and After the Fire
5. Two Cottage Settlements .
6. Brief Comments ....
III. The Bonus Plan
1. The Plan Itself ....
2. Bonus Recipients ....
3. Occupations and Resources .
4. The Houses — Character and Cost
5. Brief Comments ....
IV. The Grant and Loan Plan
1. The Plan Itself ....
2. Relation Between the Department of Lands
Buildings and the Housing Committee
3. The Number Aided and the Cost
4. Families Making Use of the Grants and Loans
5. Occupations and Resources .
6. Housing Before and After the Fire
7. Status of Loans in 1909 and 191 1 and Additional
8. Cases of Expensive Building
9. Brief Comments ....
General Conclusions on Housing Plans
and
Aid
PAGE
215
215
216
218
221
221
223
226
229
234
237
239
239
240
244
248
251
253
253
256
257
259
262
266
271
273
276
277
3
■i
> t
> ' ® J
J > i
1 1,
)
In the land of flowers
A simple but cozy home
Cottage Homes a Year after Removal
GENERAL PLAN OF HOUSING WORK
i. INTRODUCTORY
A SPECIFIC housing study was undertaken as one feature
of this Relief Survey in order to ascertain the extent and
character of the destruction of homes, to review the efforts
made to furnish temporary shelter, and the policy and methods
followed in the administration of the relief fund for building pur-
poses. Some effects of the disaster upon the applicants were
studied and the results recorded.
An attempt was also made to combine with the more specific
study a consideration of the social status of each family, the occupa-
tion and earnings of the breadwinner and of other members, and
certain facts relating to race characteristics and to rent expendi-
tures. The investigation was begun in August, 1908, by a force
of field workers who during the following three months made visits
to the families and from personal interviews and corroborating
inquiry obtained all or part of the information desired. The time
intervening between the fire and the close of the study was there-
fore about two and one-half years. Though the city was by no
means entirely rebuilt at the time of the study there was a demand
for and a supply of labor which was in a large measure normal.
Those who had received aid from the relief funds to rebuild had
had time to consider what their permanent housing policy should
be and, in the majority of cases, had made determinate plans.
The general plan of the study was to secure information for
three specific periods: for the time immediately preceding the
earthquake, when it was assumed that conditions were normal;
for the interval between the disaster and the time the applicants
built and occupied their new homes, when conditions were ab-
normal; and finally, for the period covered by the investigation,
215
HOUSING REHABILITATION
when most of the applicants had been living for some time in their
new homes, and when conditions were again relatively normal.
Easy access was had to the fairly complete minutes of the
various committee meetings, and to the numerous and well-
arranged letters of instruction written by those who had charge of
the housing work. Records had been kept of every case aided,
showing the nature, extent, purpose of the grants, and the date at
which the relief was given. This material, together with reports
of the auditor of the Corporation and extensive files of newspaper
clippings, was available for this study.
2. RETROSPECTIVE
There was delay in carrying out any comprehensive plans for
housing because, as has been told,* emergency needs had first to
be met, and because when the complex relief organization had taken
shape, rehabilitation was halted by the action of some of the eastern
donors to the funds. Another delaying element was the expecta-
tion that the national government might be persuaded to place
large deposits with local banking houses, which might become
available, on easy terms, for building purposes. f To this end a
delegation of San Francisco citizens visited Congress to discuss the
plan with the members. After careful consideration by financiers
and those socially interested, the plan was decided to be impractic-
able.
When the Department of Lands and Buildings began to work
it needed large quantities of lumber, but private interests had
quickly purchased, at the excessive prices asked, the large supply
which had been brought to the city. The Department was obliged
at the beginning to secure from outside firms an option on 3,000,000
feet of lumber and a proportionate number of shingles. The op-
tion was secured at reasonable terms and the lumber was speeded
to the city by steamers; but so great was the demand for teamsters
that men had finally to be brought from nearby cities and towns
to transport it to the building sites. Many planing mills had been
* See Part 1, pp. 22 ff., 69 ff., and 99. In page 69 ff., just noted, have been in-
corporated some of the facts gathered for this distinctive study. See also Original
Housing Plan, Appendix I, p. 394.
t For account of the proposed $10,000,000 building fund, see Charities and
the Commons, ]uT\t i6, 1906.
216
GENERAL PLAN OF HOUSING WORK
destroyed, and those running were so crowded with private orders
that the Department to avoid great delay had to erect two planing
mills. These mills caused a saving not only in time but in expense.
The difficulty of securing reliable contractors was increased
by the number of private orders received by the local firms, so
that additional contractors had to be secured from adjacent cities.
The expense of construction was increased still further by the
abnormal prices asked for labor. The destruction of deeds and
other evidences of title; the difficulty and expense of re-surveys;
the perplexity in trying to locate building sites because of the
uncertainty as to whether certain parts of the city would in the
future be used as business or residence sections; the tardiness of
insurance adjustments and the repudiating of liability by not a
few companies, — these factors combined to retard the work and
increase the cost of building.
In Part 1* a brief account is given of the first efforts made
by the Department of Lands and Buildings to provide permanent
cottages for some of the refugees. As soon as it became known
that building was to be begun on a large scale, various real estate
firms with vacant lot holdings came forward with proposals to
sell, lease, or rent to those in charge of the relief fund. A typical
proposition by a large real estate company provided for the erec-
tion of 3,000 or more houses, to be well equipped with sanitary
plumbing, to be placed on graded grounds, and to be supplied with
an adequate water system. The price of each house, complete,
was to be $1,506. An objection raised against this and similar
schemes for re-housing was that large tracts of unimproved land
were as a rule situated in outlying and inaccessible districts.
Practically all of those who were seeking shelter had formerly
lived near the business center of the city, many at least within
walking distance of their places of employment. They naturally
had no desire to take up permanent residence in an outlying dis-
trict where excessive expenses would have to be incurred. All
plans, whether submitted in good faith or not, that seemed to be
based primarily on a desire for personal profit were wisely rejected
by the Department.
The proposition was not only seriously considered of aiding
*See Part I, p. 82 ff.
217
HOUSING REHABILITATION
on a large scale the applicants to build, but steps were taken
towards the purchasing, leasing, and renting of lots. Inspectors
located all available vacant lots and tracts of land within the city,
and experts determined their value. But as all such 'property
was shown to be too unsatisfactorily situated to justify a large
expenditure, it was decided after further discussion not to purchase,
lease, or rent any lots, but to confine activities either to erecting
houses or to aiding those needing help to construct their own. A
further reason that led the Corporation to withdraw the plan was
that to carry it into effect would require the Corporation to exist
for five years at least, and probably longer.
The Department considered the possibility of purchasing
ready-built houses, for example in Michigan, to be shipped to the
city in sections. A few such houses, as an experiment, were
bought and set up on vacant lots. Objections to the purchase
of such houses were that the workmen of the city, whose number
was increased by the influx of outside workers, needed to be em-
ployed as builders, and that large supplies of lumber were soon to
be available. The plan was quickly abandoned.
Though the general theory that people should be aided only
to regain their former standard of living was one that played an
important part in determining the question of shelter for the indi-
vidual family, the desirability of not restoring former bad housing
conditions necessarily meant that in many cases a family could be
encouraged, by promise of aid, to build and maintain a home of its
own which would be much superior to the quarters formerly
occupied. The opportunity which the city had to prevent the
return of its people to undesirable homes was to be determined,
as far as the applicants for shelter were concerned, by the work
of the Department coupled with the applicant's readiness to make
beneficial use of better conditions of environment.
3. THE GENERAL PLAN
Any adequate plan for housing had to make provision for
four classes of people. First, the property owners, who had in
the past acquired some property within the burned district,
should be helped to their feet again. The carrying out of the
bonus plan, intended to meet the needs of this class, is fully de-
218
Substantial and weatherproof
Commodious and attractive
Homes from Camp Cottages
C I
» <
« 4
GENERAL PLAN OF HOUSING WORK
scribed in Chapter III.* Second, the chronic dependents should be
accepted by the city as permanent charges. The execution of the
plan made for caring for this class is the subject of Part Vl.f
Third, the non-property owners who were resourceful, should be
stimulated, by means of grants or loans, to acquire their own homes
either through the purchase of lots or through leasing the same at
a nominal sum for a period of years. The plan is dealt with in
Chapter IV.f Fourth, the non-property owners who had never
lived in other than rented quarters and who were not likely to make
wise use of a grant for the erection of a permanent home, should be
sheltered until cheap cottages could be erected for their temporary
use. This last plan§ is fully described in Chapter II of this
Part.
The work of the Department of Lands and Buildings divides
itself into three parts: first, the erection of camp cottages; second,
the payment of bonuses to property owners wishing to re-build;
third, a sharing for a time with the housing committee of the De-
partment of Relief and Rehabilitation of the work entailed in mak-
ing grants and loans to non-property owners for building purposes.
The number of houses erected directly by the Corporation or
in part from aid given by it according to the three plans which are
fully described in the following chapters, is shown in the following
table:
TABLE 63. — HOUSES ERECTED BY OR WITH THE AID OF THE SAN
FRANCISCO RELIEF AND RED CROSS FUNDS, BY STYLE OF HOUSES
OR PLAN UNDER WHICH RELIEF WAS GIVEN
Style of houses or plan of relief
Camp cottages .
Grant and loan buildings
Bonus houses
Two-story tenement houses
Total
Houses erected
5,610
885
19
8,086
♦See Part IV, p. 239 ff.
tSee also Part I, pp. 23 and 87-88, and Part V, p. 305 ff.
tSee Part IV, p. 253 ff.
§ See Part IV, p. 221 fT. For beginning of the work of supplying camp cot-
tages, see Part I, p. 22 ff.
219
HOUSING REHABILITATION
The camp cottages and the tenement houses were entirely
constructed by the Department of Lands and Buildings through its
own contractors, and were assigned for occupancy by the camp
commanders. The capacity of these camp cottages, allowing one
person to the room, was 15,288 persons, and the greatest popula-
tion at any one time was 16,448. The tenement houses accom-
modated about 650 people. The grant and loan buildings were
erected partly by contractors of the housing committee* of the
Department of Relief and Rehabilitation, and partly by the
people themselves. Those applicants whose houses were built by
the housing committee made part payments to the amount of
$57,073. 1 6 in cash. Each owner of a so-called bonus house received
from the Department of Lands and Buildings the promised bonus
upon the completion of his building, in the erection of which the
Department had no part.
The amount expended for shelter in the camps has been
given in Part I,t and expenditures for the aged and infirm will be
considered in detail in Part VI; but to gather the total expendi-
tures from the relief funds into one enumeration, the following
inclusive table is given:
TABLE 64. — EXPENDITURES FOR HOUSING MADE BY THE FINANCE
COMMITTEE OF RELIEF AND RED CROSS FUNDS, BY THE SAN
FRANCISCO RELIEF AND RED CROSS FUNDS, A CORPORATION,
AND BY THE UNITED STATES ARMY FROM CONGRESSIONAL
APPROPRIATION, FROM APRIL, I906, TO JUNE, I909
Housing the homeless (emergency shelter) $187,056. 56^
Assistance in construction of permanent homes:
Through Lands and Buildings Dept., as bonuses . $423,288.17
Through Department of Relief and Rehabilitation,
all grants of Rehabilitation Committee, of Com-
mittee V, or of other sub-committee, and all loans
whether repaid or not 567,300.85
$990,589.02
Construction of camp cottages and tenements 884, 5 58.8 1^
Construction of Ingleside Model Camp for aged and infirm . . 36,230.59*
Construction and equipment of permanent home for aged and
infirm 374,722.22*
Total expenditures $2,473,157.20
* Sixth Annual Report, American National Red Cross, pp. 73, 90, 96, 98.
♦ See Part IV, p. 253 ff. f See Part I, p. 86, and Table 26, p. 87.
220
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II
THE CAMP COTTAGES
1. GENERAL COST
THE pressure to provide permanent shelter is shown to have
been keenly realized by the Corporation from the beginning
of its work, and, before the Corporation was called into
existence, by the army officials, the Finance Committee, and the
American National Red Cross. On September lo, 1906, therefore,
the Department of Lands and Buildings had ground broken for the
building of cottages in the official camps.* From that date until
March 19, 1907, the work was steadily continued, the contractor
being spurred by the offer of a bonus if certain houses were com-
pleted within ninety days, and the threat of a forfeiture if a longer
time were taken. When the task was done 5,610 cottages had
been erected ; 4,068 of three rooms and 1,542 of two rooms each.
There had also been built 19 two-story tenement houses which
sheltered about 650 persons. The total cost of the cottages and
tenement houses including painting, plumbing, sewering, flush
toilets, hoppers, water and gas connections, the moving of tanks
from the principal parks, the laying of sidewalks, and a proportion
of office expenses, was, as is shown in Table 64, $884,558.81.
The total cost of the 19 tenement houses, including painting,
sewering, patent flush toilets, water, gas in each room and in halls,
sinks in kitchen, baths and public laundries, was $41,678.95,
an average of about $2,200 per tenement. The 15,288 rooms
in the two- and three-room cottages cost, on the average, about
$55 per room.
The erection of these cottages was essentially if not entirely
a business proposition. Little machinery was demanded. A
superintendent of building construction, aided by a small clerical
♦See Part I, p. 82.
221
HOUSING REHABILITATION
force, constituted the actual working body. After purchasing
the lumber in large quantities, the Department contracted with
five large constructing companies to erect the cottages in camps
situated in different parts of the city.
The contractors assumed the responsibility of supplying
labor and other service; the Department, that of inspecting the
completed work. It was planned to charge a monthly rental of
$4.00 for the two-room and $6.00 for the three-room cottages, but
the plan of collecting rent from the cottages located on city prop-
erty was vigorously opposed by the mayor and made illegal by a
special ordinance. However, the technicality was avoided and
the law satisfied by substituting, for the form of lease, a contract
of purchase and sale, whereby the occupant agreed to buy out-
right the house occupied by him and to pay for it in monthly in-
stalments which equaled in amount the rent formerly agreed upon.
The amounts advanced on the cottages by the occupants were
later refunded to those who purchased lots on which to place their
cottages. The total amount collected was $117,521.50 of which
$109,373 was refunded. The amount of $8,148.50 was unclaimed
at the date of the investigation. About 5,343 of these houses
were, upon the breaking up of the camps, moved either by indi-
viduals or the Associated Charities to purchased or rented lots
and became the permanent homes of the owners. Thus ground
rent, hitherto practically unknown in the city, is now paid by
many of the camp refugees.
The cottages were moved to all sections of the city, even to
surrounding towns and counties, and in not a few cases ownership
was exchanged many times. Visits were made to addresses given
for 1,137 of these removed cottages, as a result of which a total of
680 fairly complete records was secured and the findings tabulated.
The investigators tried to get the present location of the remaining
457 cottages from cottagers whose addresses at the date of removal
from camp were similar to those of unidentified recipients, but the
clue was useless, as the cottages either had not been moved to the
addresses given, or had later been moved again by the owners.
Eighty-seven cottages are known to have been sold to others and
their original owners to have effectually disappeared from the com-
munity; 23 cottagers are known to have refused to pay, or been
unable to pay, ground rent, the lot owners in consequence having
222
FAMILIES OCCUPYING THE COTTAGES
seized their cottages; and nine cottages were rented and the owners
could not be found. The 680 famiHes found and interviewed had,
with few exceptions, owned and occupied the same cottages in the
camps. The exceptions were the occupants of the houses moved
by the Associated Charities and the few who had not made their
home in the official camps but were given cottages.
2. FAMILIES OCCUPYING THE COTTAGES
The important questions to be considered in this review of
the housing situation are, who were the people who used these
cottages, and what difference did the effort of the relief authori-
ties really make to them?
The proportion of foreign born persons among the occupants
of the camp cottages was very large, though not quite so large,
as will be seen, as was the proportion of the foreign born among the
recipients of bonuses.*
TABLE 65. — NATIONALITY OF APPLICANTS RECEIVING AID UNDER
THE COTTAGE PLAN
Nationality
Native born
applicants whose
parents were of
each specified
nationality
Foreign born
applicants of
each specified
nationality
American
Irish
Italian
German
Mexican
English
Porto Rican . . . .
French . . . .' ,
Other nationalities
193
16
6
4
I
2
0
I
8
• •
127
73
55
52
34
27
15
66
Total
231
449
The three nationalities which will be found in greatest num-
bers among the recipients of the bonus likewise appeared most
frequently among those who received camp cottages, though the
order is different. The Americans among the cottagers out-
numbered the Irish, and the Italians were in the third place.
* See Table 74, p. 241.
223
HOUSING REHABILITATION
The Status of these famiHes with regard to marriage, death,
divorce, and desertion was obtained in every case.
TABLE 66. — CONJUGAL CONDITION OF FAMILIES RECEIVING AID
UNDER THE COTTAGE PLAN
Conjugal condition
Families of each
specified conjugal condition
Married couples
Widows
Single men or women
Deserted wives
Widowers
402
188
44
25
18
Divorced men or women
3
Total
680
Though the number of families given as intact is 402, in
73 instances either the husband or the wife had, at the time of the
investigation, gone from home in search of work, health, or for
other reasons. The large excess of women who had lost their
husbands, over the number of men who had lost their wives, is
striking, and is certainly out of all proportion to the number of
widows in the city. No explanation is offered other than to sug-
gest the greater financial necessity of widows, especially of those
with children. It is known that some of those included among the
44 single persons were members of a larger family, and possibly in
a few instances they supported an aged parent or others. Six of
the desertions occurred between April 18, 1906, and the time of the
investigation, and four persons were during that time removed from
family life to be imprisoned.
There were 1,312 children enumerated as members of these
complete or broken families, many of them born to young married
people who had but recently come to the city. More children*
were found in the Italian than in the American or Irish families,
the proportion being 3.1 children to an Italian family, 2.1 to an
Irish family, 1.8 to an American family. Ages were recorded of
the persons making application for cottages.
* See Tables 38 and 39, p. 156.
224
FAMILIES OCCUPYING THE COTTAGES
TABLE 67. — AGES OF APPLICANTS RECEIVING AID UNDER THE
COTTAGE PLAN^
Age period
•
Applicants in each
specified age period
Less than 30 years
30 years and less than 40 years
40 years and less than 50 years
50 years and less than 60 years
60 years and less than 70 years
70 years and over . .
81
191
173
132
71
24
Total
672
a Of the 680 families investigated, eight failed to supply information relative
to age of applicant.
Sixty-six per cent of the 680 applicants were women. It is
interesting to compare this number with the 41 per cent of women
among the recipients of bonuses* and the 18 per cent among the
famiHes receiving grants and loans. f The burden of making appli-
cation fell more and more on the women as the family moved down
in the social and economic scale. From April 18, 1906, to the
date of the investigation, 138 persons in the group suffered the
handicap of illness, 55 were invalided, 28 met with accidents,
and 89 were removed by death. These data represent the carrying
of unduly heavy burdens.
The number of families in the group that supported other
than their own children, aged parents, or other relatives, was only
68, or 10 per cent of the total. The size of the households was,
however, further increased by the presence of some persons who
were self-supporting or who contributed to the common income.
The comparatively small number of dependents both before and
after the fire may have been due to poverty, to lack of room, or
to the fact that many were comparatively recent arrivals and had
no dependents in America.
* See Part IV, p. 242. The fact that so many women had lodging houses in
the burned district before the disaster accounts partly for the large proportion of
women applicants for bonuses.
t See Part IV, p. 261.
15 225
HOUSING REHABILITATION
3. WAGES AND OCCUPATIONS
The work and wages of this group of famiHes before and after
the disaster were carefully studied.
TABLE 68. — OCCUPATION BEFORE THE FIRE, OF 415 OF THE MEN
IN FAMILIES RECEIVING AID UNDER THE COTTAGE PLAN
Occupational group
MEN IN EACH SPECIFIED OCCUPATIONAL
GROUP
Proprietors
Employes
Total
Personal and domestic service
Manufactures and mechanical pursuits
Trade
Professional
10
9
I
185
88
105
2
195
97
120
3
Total
35
380
415
The incomes of the 35 men who conducted a business before
the fire, as estimated by them, ranged from $20 to $200 a month
in 24 instances. Eleven men gave no figures, but said they had
gotten a Hving out of their business. Certainly the living was
precarious for the group as a whole, for they had little if any
savings. At the time of the investigation, the number owning
their own business was less than half what it had been in April,
1906. The nature of employment suffered sharp changes. The
record is not complete, but for the 341 men whose post-disaster
occupation record as employes was obtained, 174 may be classed
under personal and domestic occupations, 92 under manufactures
and mechanical pursuits, 59 under trades and transportation, and
two under professional. Fourteen were classed as miscellaneous.
It would appear that the number employed at work demanding
chiefly physical strength, is somewhat increased; the number
engaged at work requiring skilled labor, slightly reduced.
The following table gives the wages received by the 380
male employes before the disaster:
226
A janitor's comfortable home
Improved at small expense
Camp Cottages after Removal
♦.
FAMILIES OCCUPYING THE COTTAGES
TABLE 69. — ESTIMATED MONTHLY WAGES RECEIVED BEFORE THE
FIRE BY THE 380 MEN WHO WORKED FOR WAGES, IN THE
FAMILIES RECEIVING AID UNDER THE COTTAGE PLAN
Monthly wages
Less than ^^20 .
{520 and less than $30 .
J30 and less than $40 .
$40 and less than $50
$50 and less than $75
$75 and less than jioo .
$100 and less than $150
J5i50 and less than J200
"Made a living" .
Total . . . .
Employes receiving
wages specified
6
21
43
49
170
60
21
3
7
380
Some few are shown to have made very good incomes, but
it is not known why they had been unable to acquire property
before the fire. The actual wages were in most cases, because of
irregularity of employment, considerably less than the amounts
given above, which represent what would be the wages for regular
employment. It was impossible to ascertain how irregular any
given employment was. In comparing the wages received after
the disaster, practically no change is found. Previous to April 18,
1906, 76 per cent of these men received less than $75 per month,
while at the time of the investigation 75 per cent of them were
receiving less than that amount. From the standpoint of income
received by the chief breadwinner alone, many families were prac-
tically on the same financial basis as at the time of the disaster.
Of the 265 women who before the fire were either the entire
support of the family or were supplementing the earnings of their
husbands, 1 62 had been engaged in personal and domestic service,
88 in manufactures, 12 in the trades, and three in the professions.
Of these women, 213 were widows. After the disaster the number
of women employed was reduced to 258. Their wages before the
disaster varied from less than $20 a month, received by 71 women,
to "$50 to ^75" received by 1 1, and *' above ^75'' received by one.
One woman claimed to have earned more than $75. A large
proportion, 49, gave their wages as " living expenses." After the
227
HOUSING REHABILITATION
disaster the number getting less than $20 a month was increased to
94; but on the other hand, 14 were receiving from $50 to $75. As
in the case of the men, irregularity of employment meant that the
actual incomes of the women were less than their own 'estimates.
Previous to the fire, in 216 different families, or 32 per cent of the
-total 680, children or adults other than the principal breadwinner
were contributing to the home by their outside earnings; after-
wards this number increased to 271, or 40 per cent.
Sub-letting of rooms was a source of income to 113, or 17
per cent, of the families before the disaster; afterwards the num-
ber was reduced to 46, or 7 per cent. The two- and three-room
cottages were hardly large enough for their own members.
TABLE 70. — ESTIMATED YEARLY INCOMES BEFORE AND AFTER THE
FIRE OF FAMILIES RECEIVING AID UNDER THE COTTAGE PLAN^
Estimated yearly income
Less than $300
5300 and less than $600
$600 and less than J800
$800 and less than J 1,200
J 1, 200 and over
Total ....
a Of the 680 families investigated, 45 failed to supply information relative
to income before the fire and 39 relative to income after the fire.
FAMILIES HAVING
YEARLY INCOME
SPECIFIED
Table 70 shows that after the fire the proportion of families
in^the lower income groups was somewhat larger, and the pro-
portion in the higher income groups somewhat smaller than before
the fire. It appears from a further study of the data that 329 fami-
lies had greater incomes before the fire than after, while 215 had
greater incomes after the fire, and 92 substantially the same in-
come at both periods. Families to the number of 44 failed to
report on this point.
The standard of living of the families of four to five members
with a smaller yearly income was extremely low. Some were aided
228
FAMILIES OCCUPYING THE COTTAGES
by relatives and others were assisted from time to time by phil-
anthropic societies. Those who had received regularly as much as
$600 a year were probably self-supporting but had put aside no
savings. Only 6 per cent of this group of families had savings at
the time of the fire, and only 7 per cent were to receive insurance
for losses. They carried however only a small burden of debt.
Afterwards, 1 3 1 were reported to be in debt, in the main for im-
provements made on their property or for the purchase of a lot.
They had, therefore, comparatively little insurance and savings
on which to draw, and received little aid from gifts and loans
with which to rebuild. In fact, only 10 of the entire number stated
that they had received gifts from relatives or from any other
source, and an equal number, that they had obtained loans. The
gifts from relatives ranged from $10 to $750, and the loans obtained,
from ^25 to $250. Two cases are noted of large amounts received,
one of fe,300, the other of $5,000, for property sold or inherited
after the fire.
In addition to the privilege of removing the cottages from
the camps without charge,* 415, or 61 per cent, of the applicants
received money grants from the Rehabilitation Committee. These
amounts were given for various purposes, but in the main for
furniture, clothing, sewing machines, and other general household
rehabilitation. A certain number were granted small amounts
for housing purposes in order that they might make improvements
on their cottages or, in a few cases, to aid in the construction of
new homes.
4. HOUSING BEFORE AND AFTER THE FIRE
Only 1 5 of these families had owned the houses in which they
were living at the date of the fire, though seven others possessed
real estate for which they received rent. One family claimed to
have owned property valued at $5,000. As the majority of the
group had lived in rented houses no attempt was made to learn the
value of the rented property. At the time of removal from the
camps all but four owned the cottages in which they were living.
Table 71 shows the character of their previous dwellings.
*See Part I, p. 85, and Part IV, p. 232.
229
HOUSING REHABILITATION
TABLE 71. — TYPES OF HOUSES OCCUPIED BEFORE THE FIRE BY
FAMILIES RECEIVING AID UNDER THE COTTAGE PLAN*
Style of house
A flat or flats .
Small houses or cottages
Furnished rooms
Apartments
Basements
Total . . . .
Families living in
houses bf each
specified style
466
109
67
15
4
661
*Of the 680 families visited, 19 lived in other cities before the fire.
It must be borne in mind that the homes which they had
occupied were the least desirable in the city. The houses had been
used almost exclusively as dwellings; only 24 of the families had
had a shop or store connected with their homes. After the disaster
but seven had a shop and dwelling combined. The number of
rooms occupied before the fire by those who during camp life and
afterwards lived in two- and three-room cottages, was:
TABLE 72. — NUMBER OF ROOMS PER FAMILY OCCUPIED BEFORE THE
FIRE BY FAMILIES RECEIVING AID UNDER THE COTTAGE PLAN^
Number of rooms occupied
1 . . .
2 . . .
3
4 and less than 7
7 and less than 10
Total
Families occupying
each specified
number of rooms
50
III
204
284
12
661
a Of the 680 families investigated, 19 failed to supply information relative
to the number of rooms occupied before the fire.
The congestion during camp life was probably more unde-
sirable though not so extensive, crowding being excessive in com-
paratively few instances.
In 379 of the 680 families who lived in camp cottages there
had been not more than one person to a room; in 260, not
230
Where the trade winds blcjw'^
> >
) «
In full view of the Pacific
Camp Cottages at Hill Crest
FAMILIES OCCUPYING THE COTTAGES
more than two to a room. The large number of cottages erected
made it necessary to place them close together. In the parks
regular streets were laid out on which the cottages fronted with
very little space intervening between the buildings. The compact
housing of people meant that in some cases respectable people were
compelled to associate to a certain extent with the less desirable.
On the whole, however, the general moral conditions were not bad,
the statements of some that the camp environment was bad for
young people being offset by those of others that they had been
able to maintain their accustomed moral standards. Naturally, the
families whose living conditions had been most favorable before
the disaster were the ones most tried by the abnormal camp life.
The housing condition before the fire was, in some instances,
not only inadequate but unhealthful. It is certain that only 197,
or 29 per cent, of the families had the use of a bath. When the
cottages were moved from the camps, in 425 cases they were
occupied as permanent homes with few if any important additions.
However, 245 of the families had made improvements, 60 by adding
rooms, 160 by adding front or back porches, others by adding
windows or doors or making other minor improvements. The
houses as a rule were placed on wooden foundations. A few were
shingled, but in most instances cracks were sealed with strips, or
covered with building paper inside. With their original coat of
green paint they appeared much the same as when erected in the
camps. Some persons who were fortunate enough to secure two
or more cottages joined them to make one good sized house.
The re-visit in 1908 disclosed the fact that only 16 bath tubs
had been put into the removed cottages, and that only 40 per cent
of the cottages had been connected with the water mains. The
occupants of the remaining 60 per cent, perhaps because they were
financially unable to connect their houses with the regular water
supply, had to draw their water from hydrants in adjoining lots.
The location of some of these cottages upon the high hills char-
acteristic of the city made them difficult of access, and in some
instances the daily supply of water had to be carried 50 to 100 feet
up steep hills.
The toilet provision in the removed camp cottage homes was
even less satisfactory. In only loi instances, or 15 per cent, were
231
HOUSING REHABILITATION
toilets installed within the house. In the remaining 85 per cent
the privies were outside the house. When a number of cottages
were grouped together on the same tract of land, as frequently
occurred, the occupants — in a few cases as many as 10 families —
invariably shared the common privy.
When the cottages were removed from the official camps
most of those occupying them were given them free of charge.*
The only cost to be met was for the moving and subsequent im-
provements or repairs. The expense of moving varied according
to the distance and accessibility of the location chosen. The
usual price charged by moving companies ranged from $12.50 to
$25; $15 for one and $25 for two cottages being the common
charge. The applicants paid the cost or were aided to do so by
their relatives, friends, or in some cases by their landlord. The
landlord would advance the necessary amount in order to have the
building placed on his own lot, for which he was to receive a
monthly ground rent. The Associated Charitiesf met the ex-
pense of moving 175 of the 680 cottages; the social settlements
moved a few others. The total cost of the houses to these appli-
cants, including moving expenses and all other improvements, is
given in Table 73.
TABLE 73. — COSTS INCURRED, BY OR IN BEHALF OF APPLICANTS,
FOR COTTAGES OCCUPIED BY FAMILIES RECEIVING AID UNDER
THE COTTAGE PLAN^
Cost incurred
Cottages costing
as specified
Less than $50
$50 and less than $100
$100 and less than fcoo
$200 and over
365
130
120
52
Total
667
^Of the 680 families investigated, 13 failed to supply information relative
to costs incurred.
The expenditure of the larger sums meant that substantial
additions had been made, and that by the increase of housing space
*See Part I, p. 85.
t For cost of removal borne by Associated Charities, see Part I, p. 86,
footnote.
232
FAMILIES OCCUPYING THE COTTAGES
the building had been made far more desirable as a permanent
home.
At the time of the investigation the cottagers had lived in
their new locations for from ten to eighteen months. Although
558, or 82 per cent, of those who had occupied rented rooms before
the fire preferred their old to their present quarters, a majority
were satisfied with their new neighborhood, and 3 1 5, or 46 per cent,
claimed that the new environment was as desirable as the old, or in
some cases more desirable. Upon removal from the camps many of
the cottages had been taken to vacant lots to be grouped so closely
together that there was comparatively little privacy for each family.
The objection of some to their present surroundings was due
partly to this fact, partly to the loss of familiar friends that had
made the old neighborhood congenial. The Corporation had been
anxious that the cottages should not be removed to different parts
of the city to be grouped under conditions practically identical
with those in the camps. However, though the sale of cottages
to vacant lot owners had been steadily refused, the liberal policy
of giving cottages to those occupying them in the official camps or
to others in need of shelter resulted in a number being located close
together on the same leased tract. The lots varied greatly in size.
In some instances four or five cottages were erected on an ordinary
city lot, of 80 to 100 feet depth and 20 feet width. In others,
60 or more cottages were crowded onto a tract as large as a city
block. About 70 per cent of the families occupied lots with at
least one other cottage.
The lots were purchased by the cottagers, leased for a term
of years, or rented by the month. Of the 680 families only 70
had purchased lots. The prices paid ranged from $250 to $3,000,
but in more than half of the cases were under $1,000. At the time
of the investigation these lots were being paid for by monthly
instalments of from $8.00 to $25, and but seven of the 70 families
had canceled their indebtedness. Half the number had not paid
more than a quarter of the price of the lot, and some were barely
meeting the interest on the debt and were making no headway
toward acquiring the property.
Those leasing lots had signed contracts which would be in
force from two to five years, — a few even longer. What will.
233
HOUSING REHABILITATION
happen when the agreements expire, especially to those who
have made no improvements on their cottages, it is difficult to
predict. It is known that many who removed their cottages from
the camps disposed of them shortly afterward so as to get housing
accommodations similar to those they had had before the disaster.
Some of the cottages which were made into convenient and tasteful
homes will doubtless be occupied by their owners for a long time,
for the owners will make an effort to complete the purchase of their
lots, or to renew the leases when they expire.
The rentals paid by those who were leasing lots varied from
56.00 to $15 per month, though a great majority paid from ^6.00
to $8.50. Those renting from month to month perhaps occupied
slightly less desirable lots; the rentals paid varied for the most part
from fe.oo to $8.00 per month.
5. TWO COTTAGE SETTLEMENTS
Mention has been made of the unsatisfactory cottage settle-
ments that took the place of the camp life.* Two such settlements
were visited and the housing and other living conditions investi-
gated.
The first tract is a sand lot belonging to an old estate, which
was leased by a real estate agent for a period of five years at a rate
of $280 per month. The Corporation refused to sanction his plan,
but by some means he secured an official permit in October, 1907.
After he had spent over a month in grading his tract and in
placing most of the 1,200 feet of sewer pipes, he was notified by
the city board of health that he might not be allowed to open his
settlement as his locality was threatened by the bubonic plague.
In March of the following year when he could make it clear that
his sewerage and sanitation system complied with the public
health ordinances, he was granted a health permit. On May i,
1908, his block was opened to occupants. Two men, one of whom
was a Porto Rican boss who had come to San Francisco after the
disaster by way of Hawaii, were his assistants in securing people
to move into the block. Many came to this settlement from
Lobos Square, when that camp was broken up on June 30, 1908.
* See Part I, p. 85.
234
First cottages in Villa Maria
T i • •
» ' ■> « i
' . , J
>
» 5
The proprietor and his family
Beginnings of a Cottage Settlement
t «
TWO COTTAGE SETTLEMENTS
For each cottage moved, the two assistants received ^i.oo com-
mission, the boss receiving in addition from the house-movers a
commission of from ^i.oo to $2.00.
This block is 412 feet long and 272 feet wide> and the whole
is sub-divided into lots, each 20 x 37^^ feet. A two-plank side-
walk 3,016 feet in length was laid and 18 inches of gravel placed
on the two interior streets by the residents, who received as pay-
ment a remittance of part of their ground rent. Each lot was
leased for a term of three years, with the privilege of a two-year
renewal to the satisfactory lessees, at a monthly rate of ^6.00 for
the lots on the inner streets, $7.00 and $8.00 for those facing the
city streets. There were several exceptions to these rentals, how-
ever, one being the case of a hardworking, but very poor old woman
whose monthly rate was lowered $1.00; another case was that
of a woman who for a time was paying a $10 monthly instalment
in order to buy her house; a third, that of a family which, after
the cottage granted had been burned, was transferred to a higher
priced cottage at the same rent of $6.00. At the time of the in-
vestigation only 12 of the 121 cottages were vacant. All had been
moved from Lobos Square by their original occupants or owners,
except about 20 which were moved by the agent in order to fill the
block.
According to the agent, a number of families were at the
time of the investigation in arrears for their monthly ground rent
and 12 had not paid since they moved their cottages onto the block.
On the average the arrearage was equivalent to the entire number
being one month behind. Though several families vacated their
cottages mainly because of their inability to pay the rent, none
had been evicted on that account. Several purchasers of the
vacated cottages had had to pay the arrears to the agent as well
as the purchase price to the owners of the cottages.
The sanitary conditions, according to the visitors' report,
met the requirements of the board of health but did not conform
to the normal sanitary standard. One toilet and an adjoining
hydrant were provided for four cottages. Inspections usually
were made twice a week by the janitor whose duty it was to enforce
cleanliness. The members of each group did the cleaning in com-
mon and reported any breakage or defect in the plumbing to one
235
HOUSING REHABILITATION
of the camp residents, a plumber. The janitor and plumber re-
ceived pay for their services in free rent.
Near each toilet and hydrant stood a large covered garbage
can which was emptied three times a week or oftener. The agent
paid for these services, which amounted to $25 a month for the
block, and also the water bill, which amounted to about $92 a
month. He provided a supply of ordinary garden hose, kept at
two of the centrally located cottages, with which to fight fire.
About one-quarter of the cottagers had made small additions to
their cottages, such as porches, and about one-third had bettered
them slightly by paint, screen doors, and similar improvements.
A few of the most energetic had small, pretty gardens. The
housing conditions of a majority of these people seemed, on the
whole, to be better than before the fire. They at least paid less
rent, and in most cases, enjoyed cleaner quarters and better
sanitation.
There was little sickness, though dissipation and moral
degeneracy were conspicuous among the majority of these people,
who before the fire had lived, many of them, in very undesirable
localities. They suffered keen poverty, due in part to scarcity of
work, but perhaps largely to intemperance and shiftlessness. Any
day a group of men might be found idle, while their women and
children provided meager support.
The second tract was, previous to April 18, 1906, a vacant
lot 192 X 137 feet. It was leased by a woman, a Mexican, for a
period of three years, with the privilege of a one-year renewal. No
money was spent in grading, in filling for sidewalks, or for other
improvements; practically the only item of expense was for sewer-
age. One hopper, one faucet, and a toilet for each four families
were installed to conform to the requirements of the board of
health. The landlady paid $100 for this sanitary work, which
had caused great dissatisfaction on account of its poor quality.
The individual families had had an increase in water rent from
50 cents the first month to $1 .1 5 the fourth, on account of leakage
in the pipes. The ground rent of $6.00 a month for lots 25 feet
square facing the city streets and of I5.00 for inner lots of the same
size was a little cheaper than that asked in other similar settle-
ments; but added charges for garbage and water made a total cost
236
i
1 » ^
3 g 1
TWO COTTAGE SETTLEMENTS
that was on the average about what was met by those who occupied
cottages elsewhere, under better conditions. There were 55 chil-
dren in all on the lot.
The 27 families occupying this lot came from the Lobos
Square camp. The landlady, as an inducement, had offered free
ground rent for the month of June, 1908. Three-quarters of the
cottages were moved and repaired by the Associated Charities at
an average cost of $28.50 a cottage.* The Associated Charities
had recently shingled and put in sinks for the six most nearly
dependent households. It is not known how much the landlady
paid for her lease nor what profits she reaped. She regretted the
undertaking, however, — a result that might have been foreseen
when such a helpless class of tenants was accepted.
6. BRIEF COMMENTS
The erection of a large number of two- and three-room cot-
tages was necessary if shelter were to be given to the poorest
class of the homeless refugees. With individual exceptions, the
people had been accustomed to comparatively low standards of
living. They consumed each day the daily wage, so were helpless
when overtaken by the disaster.
The investigation revealed that those responsible had acted
wisely in providing the shelter without consulting the wishes of
those for whom it was intended. Opportunity to secure shelter
was given through the '' bonus'' and the ''grant and loan'' schemes
for those who had some means and initiative; but those without
resources of their own were not in a position wisely to suggest the
manner of their housing. The Department outlined the work on a
large scale and executed it in a straightforward, businesslike man-
ner. The happy result was abundant shelter for all the poorest
families with the oncoming of the winter rains.
Some critics have claimed that a more equitable distribution
of the funds would have been to give to the poorest class as much as
to the more fortunate refugees, but a careful examination of the
facts shows that the policy adopted was more feasible as well
as more expedient. Those who possessed vacant lots, or other
* For work of Associated Charities in relation to housing families, see Part
I. pp. 85-86.
237
HOUSING REHABILITATION
property, or who could command means with which to build,
gave tangible proof that the foundation of previous thrift and
enterprise would serve as a guarantee of wise use of aid from the
relief funds. The applicants who had owned no property, pos-
sessed no savings, and whose standard of living was low, could
offer little, if any, guarantee of a wise use of funds. Had a body
of expert social workers been engaged to study each family in-
dividually and to plan its future home, superintending the purchase
of a lot and the construction of a house, — in fact, teaching each
to be a good householder, — a more liberal housing allowance
could have been safely granted. Such a constructive plan would
have called for far more elaborate and efficient machinery than
was at hand, and would have required a much longer time. How-
ever, it is realized that a situation which concerned practically
the future home life of every camp refugee presented a wonderful
and probably unparalleled opportunity for wise constructive
philanthropy.
It will be important, in the event of future disasters, to see
if the least efficient can be re-housed so as to be, through careful
supervision of individuals, brought to a higher standard of living.
238
Ill
THE BONUS PLAN
1. THE PLAN ITSELF
THE first definite housing resolution agreed upon by the
Executive Committee of the San Francisco Relief and Red
Cross Funds was an effort to advance through its Depart-
ment of Lands and Buildings 333^^ per cent of the cost of a home to
be built on the ground owned by any resident of the city whose
house had been destroyed, with the provision that in no instance
should the amount granted to any one person exceed $500.
This was the most generous housing offer made and was limited
to those who were to rebuild within the burned territory. It
was known as the " bonus plan/' The offer was announced to
the public through the newspapers in August, 1906, by the
Department of Lands and Buildings, and remained open until
October i, 1906, being reopened in February, 1907, for two weeks.
Originally, $400,000 was set aside for the bonuses. In February,
1907, an additional $100,000 was appropriated.
The bonus, or gift, offered to anyone who desired to rebuild
on property owned by him in the burned district was granted
to 885 persons. The total amount granted was $423,288.17.* In
slightly over 10 per cent of the cases the amount actually given as
a bonus to the applicant was less than $500, due to the fact that
he had received aid from other departments, or because the cost
of the house was less than $1,500. In one instance the amount
of the bonus was as low as $83.
The general procedure was for an applicant to submit his
plans to the Department of Lands and Buildings for approval,
and when approval was obtained to begin to build his house.
Little machinery was required, for no attempt was made to in-
vestigate the actual needs of the applicants. The Department
satisfied itself that the person was eligible under the terms offered,
*This total included an expense item of $761.17, incurred for investigating
titles, etc.
239
HOUSING REHABILITATION
and before making payment received assurance from its inspector
that the building was located at the place designated by the appli-
cant and represented a certain value. The length of time between
the granting of an application and the completing of -the house
varied from one to 14 months. When the second appropriation
of $100,000 was made, consideration was given to the question of
fixing a maximum limit upon the cost of the houses to be built
by the receivers of bonuses, but no definite action followed.
During the early stages of the relief work the great question
was, how soon will the burned district be rebuilt. Houses must be
rebuilt if residents temporarily living in the nearby cities were not
to be permanently lost. Stores and warehouses must be rebuilt
if the small tradesmen and lodging-house keepers were to return,
to attract, in their turn, other industries. Labor leaders asserted
that a large number of those who were living in outlying districts
or outside the city were workingmen who were handicapped both
by loss of time and by increase in expenditure in having to go to
and from their accustomed places of labor. Four or five thousand
workingmen were said to be anxiously waiting to make use of a
liberal off'er to re-establish their homes on their own lots in the
burned area. The number was over-estimated, for only 885
bonuses were granted, many to persons who owned their own busi-
ness and were not workingmen on a daily wage. If such a large
number ever made application for the bonus, they either did not
possess sufficient savings or enjoy an income large enough to avail
themselves of the Corporation's off^er. Capitalists were also
anxious for rebuilding to begin as rapidly as possible; so the plan,
when announced, was gladly received by all classes. It is possible
that the expenditure of the first $400,000 appropriated for bonuses
at the moment when many were debating the wisdom of rebuild-
ing, turned the tide of decision in favor of immediate action. As
early as March, 1907, 470 bonus homes had been built at an ex-
penditure of $200,147.17.
2. BONUS RECIPIENTS
The field investigation of the bonus cases made by this
Survey included visits to 572 persons, or 65 per cent of the entire
number. These were selected at random and scattered over the
240
> 3
Home built by a letter carrier ,^,\
■ > > *
' • >
> J >
*
1 )
Home of an elderly U. S. Government employe. Bonus, $250
Bonus Houses
BONUS RECIPIENTS
entire" burned district. In 26 instances the investigator was
refused information, 44 of the houses were rented out and the
addresses of owners could not be obtained, and 12 of the houses
had been sold or were vacant and the whereabouts of the owners
were unknown. The remaining 490 cases, 55 per cent of the total
number receiving bonuses, yielded practically complete schedules.
All except one of the bonus recipients studied — Notre Dame Col-
lege, an institution accommodating about 75 students — repre-
sented families, or were persons who wished to establish homes.
It is believed that the cases selected are in every way typical and
that the results obtained would be substantially the same if the
entire number had been visited. The characteristics of these
489 persons who received bonuses, and their relative condition
before and after the disaster, are briefly given in the following
pages.
TABLE 74. —
NATIONALITY^ OF APPLICANTS RECEIVING AID UNDER
THE BONUS PLAN
— t- ■ ■-
Nationality
Native born appli-
cants whose pa-
rents were of each
specified nation-
ality
Foreign born ap-
plicants of each
specified nation-
ality
Irish
Italian
American
German
English
French
Other nationalities
19
I
81
2
3
2
3
185
93
• •
10
1 1
38
Total
1 1 1
378
^ For comparative figures as to nationality found by the first registration,
see Part I, p. 74.
That a large proportion of those who received bonuses were
foreign born was to be expected, as the regions burned were in-
habited largely by the Italians north of Market Street and by the
Irish, south.
The conjugal condition of the bonus recipients is shown in
Table 75.
«6 241
HOUSING REHABILITATION
TABLE 75. — CONJUGAL CONDITION OF FAMILIES RECEIVING AID
UNDER THE BONUS PLAN
Conjugal condition
Families of each specified
conjugal condition
Married couples
Widows
Widowers
Orphaned children
Single men
Single women
321
126
23
8
6
5
Total
489
In November, 1908, when the schedules were completed, 390
of the 489 families, or 80 per cent, had the same status as before
the fire; 99, or 20 per cent, had suffered changes of various kinds.
These changes, in the main, resulted from deaths and the natural
separation of maturing children from the home. From the date
of the disaster to the time of the investigation, 53, or 1 1 per cent,
of the families suffered loss by death of one or more of their mem-
bers, the total deaths being 57. One of this number had been
killed by the earthquake, and many, — the exact number could not
be ascertained, — died from such indirect effects of the disaster
as nervous prostration, or typhoid fever contracted in camp. The
deaths for the period considered, though slightly above the normal,
were not excessive.
In 41 per cent of the bonus cases the application was filed
by the wife or some other woman member of the family, and the
grant was made in her name. The large number of women ap-
plicants may be explained in part by the fact that the blank
application for a bonus had to be signed by the owner of the lot,
whether man or woman,* and it is a common practice in San
Francisco, as elsewhere, for a husband to put his property in his
wife's name. Furthermore, Table 75 shows a large proportion of
widows among the applicants and a small proportion of widowers.
The size of the family was, as a rule, not large, and the
burden of dependence carried not heavy. In only 28 cases were
* See form in Appendix II, p. 447.
242
BONUS RECIPIENTS
there persons other than children who were wholly dependent.
In 43 cases relatives or friends lived with the family, but were
either self-supporting or made contribution to the family income.
There were 1,333 children of these families, or 2.7 to a family,
not all of whom were living at home; many, married or single,
were living and working away from their parents.
TABLE 76. — AGES OF APPLICANTS RECEIVING AID UNDER THE
BONUS PLAN*
Age period
Applicants in
each age period
Less than 30 years
30 years and less than 40 years
40 years and less than 50 years
50 years and less than 60 years
60 years and less than 70 years
70 years and less than 80 years
80 years and over
6
80
144
116
108
33
2
Total
489
a Note the difference in ages between those receiving the bonus and the camp
cottage occupants. See Part IV, p. 225.
It will be seen from Table 76 that 47 per cent of the appli-
cants were under fifty years of age and that 29 per cent were over
sixty years of age. The few that had reached an advanced age
were given a bonus not on account of their need, but as a stimulus
to build on their property in the burned district.
The health of the family was more fully recorded than in the
case of the camp cottagers. No note was made of such minor
ailments, or accidents, as would bring no handicap, but 181, or
37 per cent, of the families suffered from sickness and accident
to such an extent that there was a distinct handicap, either
through burdensome doctors' bills, or by having the source of
income temporarily reduced or cut off. Including the 53 families
who had sustained deaths, 48 per cent of the whole number were
shown to have suffered from the effects of illness or accident.
This total burden should not, however, be reckoned as an after-
math of the disaster.*
*For general health conditions during period immediately following the
disaster, see Part I, p. 89 ff.
243
HOUSING REHABILITATION
3. OCCUPATIONS AND RESOURCES
The means by which the men in the famiHes earned a liveli-
hood before April, 1906, are given in Table 77.
TABLE 77. — OCCUPATIONS BEFORE THE FIRE OF 433 MEN IN FAMILIES
RECEIVING AID UNDER THE BONUS PLAN
Occupational group
MEN IN EACH SPECIFIED OCCUPATIONAL
GROUP
Proprietors
Employes
Total
Personal and domestic service .
Manufactures and mechanical pursuits
Trade
Professional service ....
Retired
Invalid
1 12
22
38
46
10
80
61
62
2
192
83
100
2
46
10
Total
228
205
433
The number of those who had owned and operated an indi-
vidual business is shown to exceed sHghtly the number that were
employed at a definite rate of wages. Thirty different industries
and 66 different kinds of employment are included in the four
categories. The number of women who earned support for them-
selves outside of their own homes, and in whole or in part, for
their families, was 31 ; of these, 17 were in personal and domestic
service, 1 1 in manufactures, two in trade, and one in professional
service. The heads of the remaining 25 families were either
aged men or women who were supported by their own children,
or persons otherwise cared for.
The status with reference to ownership of business remained
almost unchanged; only 12 persons who had owned and managed
a business before the fire were forced later to seek permanent
employment as wage-earners. Almost exactly the same number
of persons, 1 1 , who were wage-earners before the disaster, con-
ducted a business of their own at the time of the investigation.
These slight variations show that the bonus recipients, possessing
more than ordinary ability, were able to re-establish themselves.
Perhaps a better estimate of the earning capacity of the bonus
applicants is obtained by comparing the number whose incomes
244
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BONUS RECIPIENTS
were permanently increased or diminished or remained practically
the same during the stress of abnormal conditions. A study of the
data shows that 201 applicants enjoyed larger incomes before the
fire than after; that 237 applicants had smaller incomes before the
fire than after, and that in 47 cases the income was about the same
at both periods. Of the 490 applicants, including Notre Dame Col-
lege, for which information was secured, five failed to supply in-
formation as to relative income.
The large number of those who enjoyed increased incomes
at the time of the investigation may be accounted for in part by the
fact that members of the same families before April 18, 1906, were
not contributing to their limit. In not a few cases, however, an
increase in wages of those who had previously worked full time,
accounts for the difl^erence. Perhaps the chief significance of the
figures lies in the fact that in the majority of cases there was no
serious decrease in income.* The number of women who added to
the family income, or managed their own property, before and after
April, 1908, did not materially change. In the earlier period, 109
of the womenf were conducting a business or earning wages; in
the later period, 94 were doing so.
The number of contributors to the family income in both
periods was obtained in each instance. In 41 families the number
of contributors was larger before the fire than after; in 76 families
the number was smaller before than after. Three hundred and
sixty-nine families had the same number of contributors to the
family income at both periods, and three families failed to supply
information on this point. The additional number of contributors
may in several instances be accounted for by the greater age of the
children, an increase which is to some extent counterbalanced by
the withdrawal on account of marriage or advancing age of some
contributors to the common purse.
It was not possible to estimate the exact value of the lots
owned by the applicants before the fire; their exact value could
have been learned only by sale. What is, however, believed to be
a fairly accurate estimate is given in Table 78.
* See Part IV, p. 250-25 1, for sub-letting as a factor.
t The figure given for women's occupations is larger than on page 244,
as the latter figure includes only women who were counted to be the main support
of themselves or of their families.
245
HOUSING REHABILITATION
TABLE 78. — VALUE OF LOTS OWNED BEFORE THE FIRE BY APPLI-
CANTS RECEIVING AID UNDER THE BONUS PLAN ^
Value of lots owned before the fire
Applicants owning
lots of eadh specified
value
Less than $1,000
J 1, 000 and less than $2,000
$2,000 and less than $3,000
$3,000 and over
53
274
131
27
Total
485
a Of the 490 applicants, including Notre Dame College, for which informa-
tion was secured, five did not own lots before the fire.
The above valuations are supposed to be those extant before
the disaster. Although in some districts the value of lots may have
increased after the fire, and in others may have decreased, no
effort was made, because of the inherent difficulties, to ascertain the
amount of the later valuation. It is not known why the bonus was
granted to the five persons who did not own lots before the disaster.
In addition to the lots on which these dwellings had stood,
5 1 families had owned both before and after the fire other realties,
such as houses, lots, or ranches. The value of the additional real
property in 40 cases was found to have averaged $7,558. Similar
data with reference to 35 families showed the average value of
their additional property after the fire to be $4,052; 17 other
families possessed additional property before, but not after;
while 16 families reported acquiring additional property after the
disaster. In practically every instance the owners drew from
their properties a substantial addition to their incomes.
In order to rebuild their homes, 352, or 72 per cent, of the
applicants negotiated loans with banks or with relatives or friends.
The interest was from 6^ to 8 per cent. Previous to April 18,
1906, 61 of those who later received the bonus had rented their
houses and occupied living quarters elsewhere, — in four instances,
in cottages on lots on which the houses stood; in others, with
relatives, in rented rooms in more desirable residence sections,
or in houses owned in other parts of the city. After the fire the
number who rented their homes to others increased to 74; 22 of
246
^4.
BONUS RECIPIENTS
this' number, in place of four, lived on their own lots in small
cottages or shacks built in the rear of each lot.
Four hundred and fifty, or 92 per cent, of those who received
the $500 bonus had carried, and received after the fire, insurance
in amounts ranging from less than $500 to $20,000. Of 204
families from whom reliable data were secured, 25 were found to
have received full payment; 78 to have received more than 75
per cent, but less than 100 per cent of their loss; 82, more than 50
per cent but less than 75 per cent; and 12, more than 25 per cent
but less than 50 per cent. One received less than 25 per cent and
six received nothing.
The field workers found it peculiarly difficult to learn what
had been the amount of bank savings of the different families.
Many refused to answer the question; others denied that they had
had savings; 167, or 34 per cent, of those tabulated admitted
having put aside amounts varying from less than $500 to more than
$4,000; and 38 that they had savings, the amounts of which they
would not give.
Though all aided under the bonus plan were property owners,*
a number were in debt both before and after the fire. Table 79 in-
dicates the number in debt and the amount of this indebtedness.
TABLE 79. — INDEBTEDNESS CARRIED BEFORE AND AFTER THE FIRE
BY FAMILIES RECEIVING AID UNDER THE BONUS PLAN ^
Amount of indebtedness
Less than $500
$500 and less than $1,000
$1,000 and less than $2,000
$2,000 and less than $3,000
$3,000 and over
Total ....
FAMILIES WHOSE INDEBT-
EDNESS WAS AS SPECIFIED
Before fire
After fire
21
38
49
66
61
83
32
65
13
72
176
324
* Of the families investigated, three that carried indebtedness before the
fire and four that carried indebtedness after the fire refused to state the amount of
the indebtedness.
* The five who did not own lots on which they wished to build had pre-
sumably other property.
247
HOUSING REHABILITATION
From the table it will be noted that before the fire 179, or
37 per cent, of those aided, had carried a burden of debt, while
afterwards the number was increased to 328, or 67 per cent. Loans
to the amount of the indebtedness noted could have been -obtained
upon the property owned.
Additional aid was granted by the Rehabilitation Committee
to 116, or 24 per cent, of the bonus grantees, in amounts varying
from $5.00 to $500. These grants were in the main for clothing,
sewing machines, medicine, or other general household relief.
The aid included 59 furniture grants. In 10 of the 1 16 cases the
full bonus was not given, so that the sum of grants amounted
to not more than $500. Sixty-five of the applicants were not
eligible for the full bonus, as the buildings they erected were
worth less than $1,500 each. The department, it may be
remembered, had agreed to pay not more than one-third of the
value of the house which should be erected.*
4. THE HOUSES— CHARACTER AND COST
As far as this group of families is concerned the burned area
was built up substantially as before the earthquake. As wood was
the material available, without exception the 490 bonus houses
were frame. The general appearance of the houses was good.
Most were painted and had adequate foundations, and a majority
had basements. The basements in many cases were sublet, or
were used for business purposes. The number of stories to a house
varied from one to four; only three of the houses, however, had
four stories. The greater number were of two stories. All the
houses were connected with the city water supply and the sewer-
age system. Three hundred and eighty-one, or 78 per cent, of
the new houses contained bath rooms, and all but three had in-
stalled one or more patent flush closets.
A fair gauge of the character of the houses rebuilt is the cost,
if the high price of building materials be borne in mind.
One house cost $39,000, another $78,000, and three from
$10,000 to $20,000. It must be remembered that one of these
was Notre Dame College. Only 16 per cent of the houses were
built by the applicants themselves. The original plan was to aid
* See Part IV, p. 239.
248
BONUS HOUSES
TABLE 80. — COST OF HOUSES REBUILT AFTER THE FIRE BY APPLI-
CANTS RECEIVING AID UNDER THE BONUS PLAN
Cost of houses
Less than $1,500 .
$1,500 and less than $3,000
$3,000 and less than $5,000
$5,000 and less than $10,000
$10,000 and over .
Total
Houses costing
as specified
65
210
118
92
5
490^
a Includes Notre Dame College
those that had suffered the loss of their homes. Fifty-five of the
houses destroyed were, however, used for both dwelHng and busi-
ness purposes; 69 of those rebuilt were similarly used. Each busi-
ness was on a small scale, — a grocery or fruit store, a saloon, or a
barber shop. The number of rooms in the houses formerly oc-
cupied and those in the houses lived in after the fire is given in
the following table:
TABLE 81. — NUMBER OF ROOMS IN HOUSES OWNED BEFORE THE
FIRE AND IN HOUSES REBUILT AFTER THE FIRE BY APPLICANTS
RECEIVING AID UNDER THE BONUS PLAN
Number of rooms
HOUSES HAVING EACH
SPECIFIED NUMBER OF
ROOMS
Before fire
After fire
1 . . . .
2 . . . .
3 . . . .
4 . . . .
5 and less than 9
9 and less than 13
13 and less than 16
17 and less than 21
21 and over .
• •
I
150
171
83
42
28
• •
I
6
51
184
138
58
23
28
Total ....
489
489
Average number of rooms before fire
Average number of rooms after fire
12.2
10.6
249
HOUSING REHABILITATION
As in not a few cases two houses instead of one were built
on a lot, the combined number of rooms is given in the preceding
table. A further examination of the data shows that in i68 of
the bonus cases the houses were rebuilt to contain a great-er num-
ber of rooms, in 259 to have less, in 62 to have the same. No at-
tempt has been made to compare size and desirability of the rooms,
but it seems probable that there was no great difference in the
character of the houses rebuilt as far as rooming space is concerned.
In 453, or 93 per cent, of the bonus cases tabulated, the exact
number of rooms occupied by the family and its dependents in its
own or in a rented house was ascertained.
TABLE 82. — NUMBER OF ROOMS PER FAMILY OCCUPIED BEFORE
AND AFTER THE FIRE BY FAMILIES RECEIVING AID UNDER THE
BONUS PLAN^
Number of
rooms
occupied
FAMILIES OCCUPYING
EACH SPECIFIED NUMBER
OF ROOMS
Before fire
After fire
I
8
13
65
302
55
10
1 1
2
37
72
303
37
3
■X ....
4 and less than 7
7 and less than 10
10 and over
•
•
Total
453
453
a Of the 489 families investigated, 36 failed to supply information relative
to the number of rooms occupied both before and after the fire.
The proportion of families occupying less than four rooms
was smaller before the fire than after the fire, while the reverse
is true of families occupying seven or more rooms. It would
appear from this that after the fire the crowding was slightly in-
creased. By actual count, 218 families were found to have occu-
pied more room before the fire than after, 152 families occupied
the same number, while 83 enjoyed a larger number after the fire.
The number of families who let rooms before and after the fire
was extraordinarily large. Before the fire 375, or 76 per cent, and
250
Two ambitious dwellings built with aid' 0^ j3onuses
' 9 y
1 > » »
i
Built with bonus of $500 and money privately loaned
^ Bonus Houses
BONUS HOUSES
afterwards 378, or 77 per cent, let either furnished rooms or un-
furnished suites. In a majority of cases the family itself occupied
one flat and let the others. It is evident that the average small
property owner rebuilt his house with the expectation of drawing
an income from it. •
5. BRIEF COMMENTS
If the Corporation had refused to grant a bonus to anyone
who was to build a house to cost above $2,500, more than 50 per
cent of the grants would have been denied. When the second ap-
propriation of $100,000 was set aside for the bonus grants in 1907,
one intimately connected with the work wrote: *Mn connection
with the proposed expenditure of $100,000 to be used for assisting
those intending to rebuild in the burned district, I will state that,
as there will be numerous applicants for such assistance, it might
be wise to place some restrictions upon the bonus other than those
now in force. For instance, 1 recommend that a person desiring
to build a house valued at $3,000 should not be granted said bonus,
as evidently he is not in need, and in my opinion, does not require
our help. Furthermore, 1 believe it would be well to investigate
each application to determine whether the applicant has received
assistance from the Committee previous to placing the application
with the Department."
The man who had to pass on the bonus applications said:
*' Henceforth the bonus should be granted only in cases which have
been proven conclusively to be in need of it, for my impression
after a careful examination of these applications, is that they are
not in particular need of the bonus but could get along perfectly
well without it, though possibly not so easily."
Another letter, dated March 1 1, 1907, to the staff in charge
of the grants said, "In making the allotments under the new
appropriation I would advise that you question each grantee care-
fully and refuse to issue the amount where the house is already
completed or nearly built. This, of course, can only be determined
from personal examination of the applicant, for many whose houses
are already practically completed, frame their applications as if
they were just about to begin."
The feeling that, regardless of loss, there was the right to
251
HOUSING REHABILITATION
share in the relief funds, pushed many who had already begun to
build into the ranks of applicants for the liberal gift of $500. A
possible evil effect of this liberal offer was that some persons, in
order to take advantage of it, incurred heavy indebtedness, which
they would be forced for a long time to carry. The extra cost for
building during the fall of 1906 and the winter of 1907 offset in a
measure the financial gain from the bonus.
After a great disaster the efficient distribution of a large sum
of money to aid in rebuilding calls for the exercise of two distinct
functions, business management and supervision of rehabilitation
work. It is not probable that the same person can with equal
success perform the two functions. A neglect of either means a
grave miscarrying of the plan itself.
252
IV
THE GRANT AND LOAN PLAN
1. THE PLAN ITSELF
THE Department of Lands and Buildings at first gave its
entire attention to the camp cottages and bonuses. How-
ever, a large number of applications for small grants or
loans to build had been early filed away to bide their time. The
insistence of applicants and the recognition of their need to be
heard led to the transfer of these applications to another depart-
ment of the Corporation. November i, 1906, the Rehabilitation
Committee* referred to its new housing committee of five members,
Committee V, the 800 applications that had accumulated.
Committee V organized at once and formulated plans for
making grants and loans and for building houses. It assumed the
work of housing to be general rehabilitation, and therefore per-
fected a system whereby all those asking for assistance could be
investigated and helped according to their needs.
There were, speaking in general, two classes of applicants to
whom the committee extended aid:
1. Some applicants planned and built their own houses, but re-
ceived aid from the relief funds. A maximum cost of each house to be
erected was fixed by the committee, and the applicant was supposed to
pay the greater part. The amounts distributed under this plan were
considered grants and not loans.
2. Other applicants desired to purchase houses which were planned
and constructed under the direction of the committee. In some cases of
this class the grant covered the entire cost of the house, while in others the
grant was supplemented in one or both of the two following ways:
a. A part of the cost of the house was treated as a loan to be repaid
by the applicant.
b. The applicant made a cash payment covering a part of the cost.
The Committee, in order to make good its second offer,
* The Rehabilitation Committee, it must be recalled, was a committee of
the Department of Relief and Rehabilitation.
253
HOUSING REHABILITATION
engaged contractors to build houses which, including plumbing,
should cost not more than $500.* Under both offers, the applicant
was required to show that he had suffered material loss and that he
was the head of a household and was able to support Kis family;
that he was unable to secure a suitable house at a reasonable rent,
and that he had secured a lot in the city and county of San Fran-
cisco on which to build. The plan of the building submitted had
to comply with the provisions of the city building code. The
carrying out of the plans,t with any modification of policy, the
Rehabilitation Committee left to its sub-committee, to which the
grant and loan plan had been referred.
The housing committee, assuming that theirs was in the
highest sense rehabilitation work, perfected a thorough system of
investigation of all applications. It defined its purpose to be:
*' To assist families in need of proper shelter to obtain a home suit-
able to their wants and in proportion to their earnings."
In placing the grants and loans, its theory was to give aid
so as to stimulate the recipient to use it for the distinct benefit
of his family. In a case where a family had heavy burdens and a
limited income, money was granted outright. When there was
reason to believe that a recipient could repay a part of the large
amount needed, a grant was frequently supplemented by a loan.
As general rules should be few in number, the committee exercised
its own judgment in each individual instance. The plans there-
fore worked differently in different cases. In some cases the ap-
plicant deposited part of the cost of the house to be built which
was supplemented by a grant or loan. In other cases, the appli-
cant being unable to make a deposit, the committee bore the entire
first cost of the house.
Many were aided who had no real estate before April, 1906,
but purchased or leased a lot in order to build. Even the maxi-
mum limit set for the cost of the house was not adhered to in every
instance. The loans ranged from $37 to $595,$ as the committee
found it wise to readjust its own plan so that the amounts given or
loaned should be such as would meet the actual needs revealed
* As a matter of fact, the average cost including plumbing was $682.45.
tSee Appendix 1, p. 417.
X For range of grants, as distinguished from loans, see Part IV, p. 258.
254
THE GRANT AND LOAN PLAN
by a careful investigation. A reliable bank was enlisted to see that
the loans were properly executed, mortgages recorded, and monthly
instalments collected. This bank became the financial agent of
the Corporation, and those who received loans felt their obliga-
tion to be to it rather than to the Corporation. In case a house
were built on a lot temporarily leased, the bank secured from the
applicant and the owner of the property an agreement to the effect
that the house should not be moved without the consent of the
committee. In case an applicant failed to meet his financial obli-
gation the house reverted to the Corporation, not to the lot owner.
The committee, it may be seen, had two clearly defined
functions: (a) to administer a business which called for the em-
ployment of contractors, the outlining of plans and specifications
for buildings, the appointing of inspectors to locate lots and to
examine the buildings erected, and (b) to conduct a bureau of
rehabilitation through which might be learned the present and
past conditions and the future prospects of the individual appli-
cants. The oversight given by the two groups, business men and
social workers, meant a decrease in the number of failures to re-
establish homes.
The work of Committee V, which began November i, 1906,
ended the latter part of July, 1907. The committee as a whole
was in continuous session during the first weeks. Thereafter two
of its members gave to it practically all their business hours. After
July, 1907, however, minor details connected with final acceptances
and instalments of additional plumbing and other tasks incidental
to the closing of the work, were under the direction of one member.
In many instances the delays were long between the asking
for and the receiving of a grant or loan, in part because the grant
and loan plan was the last housing plan to be put into efi'ect.
Some families were purposely not given assistance until the house
was completed, which accounted for the delay of some months be-
tween the approval of an application and the payment of the grant.
Other families were themselves the cause of long delays, because of
their inability quickly to build. The actual delays ranged from
less than one month in 62 instances to twelve months in one in-
stance. Fifty per cent of the 896 applicants for whom detailed
information was secured had to wait two months or less.
255
HOUSING REHABILITATION
2. RELATION BETWEEN THE DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND
BUILDINGS AND THE HOUSING COMMITTEE
As the Department of Lands and Buildings and the housing
committee were both engaged in building houses, it was found to be
important in order to avoid delays in the work, to plan some divi-
sion of duties. Accordingly, on March 29, 1907, following much
discussion, a plan of co-operation was agreed upon. The housing
committee was to consider all applications first and to determine
in each case the amount of aid to be granted; the terms, whether
on a cash or instalment basis; and the general design and specifica-
tions for the house. The Department of Lands and Buildings
was to have full charge of construction and cost and of the in-
spection of completed cottages.
This agreement, which called for a division of work, gave
recognition to the dual need, of rehabilitation of applicants and of
sound business management. The housing committee turned over
to the Department the designs, blue prints, and specifications for
the four styles of cottages that were being erected, together with
outstanding contracts. The following regulations to govern the
two bodies were determined upon:
1. The housing committee should send to the Department of Lands
and Buildings, in each case, a description of the lot upon which the build-
ing was to be erected, together with the name and address of the applicant,
and should designate the style of cottage to be constructed.
2. When the housing committee received from the Department of
Lands and Buildings the total cost of the house and the name of the con-
tractor, the amount necessary to pay for the house should be deposited
to the housing committee's account and held there until ordered paid to
the contractor.
3. When the house had been completed and accepted by the De-
partment of Lands and Buildings the contractor should be given an order
on the cashier for the amount due. The cashier should draw the necessary
check, signed by a representative of the housing committee.
4. The Department should send notice to the housing committee
when a house had been completed and accepted.
On March 1 1, 1907, the manager of the Department of Lands
and Buildings had at the request of the Executive Committee of
the Corporation been made superintendent of construction of the
housing committee.
256,
3
} » ■> ■)
} 5
3 > J
'''' =
J 9 J
3
J -' 3
3C ,
3 3 3 ^.
3 3
3 ^
THE GRANT AND LOAN PLAN
Despite the detailed regulations there were dissatisfaction and
friction; so on April 26, 1907, the housing committee passed a
resolution to the effect that inasmuch as the housing committee
bore the full responsibility of the manner in which the relief work
relating to the building of houses was conducted, and, since the
members of the housing committee were dissatisfied with the man-
ner in which the superintendent of construction was performing
his duties, the housing committee made a most urgent request
to the Executive Committee that the superintendent withdraw
from all work in which the housing committee was concerned.
The specific charges were (a) that poor contractors were
employed, (b) that desirable contractors who were difficult to obtain
at that time complained of the superintendent's treatment, (c)
that the superintendent who had done efficient service in erecting
the camp cottages, was entirely unfit for his new position because of
his unfriendly and unsympathetic attitude toward the applicants,
(d) that, finally, the building of the much-needed new houses was
unnecessarily slow.
The relation which unfortunately existed between these two,
the Department and the committee, is mentioned at this stage,
in order to explain in a measure the long delay and hold-up of
orders by the committee. It accounts for much of the dissatis-
faction that existed among the people and for some hardships
endured by not a few applicants. The delays due to friction
made it necessary for the housing committee to continue its work
after the bonus plan was discontinued.
3. THE NUMBER AIDED AND THE COST
A complete statement of the work done shows that there were
2,098 applications for relief under the grant and loan plan acted
upon subsequent to November i, 1906. Assistance was given in
1,572* cases, the total expenditure being $519,723.17. Previous
to November i, 1906, the Rehabilitation Committee, as part of its
regular work and without special machinery, had made grants in
163 cases. The amounts granted in these 163 cases bring the
* This number includes not only the cases in which grants were given by
the sub-committee on housing (Committee V) but all cases in which grants for
housing were given by any of the sub-committees of the Rehabilitation Committee
subsequent to November i, 1906. Both principal and subsidiary grants are in-
cluded. See Tables 40 and 41, pp. 157 and 158.
17 257
HOUSING REHABILITATION
total expenditure for relief in grant and loan cases up to
$567,300.85. The 1,572 cases in which aid was given subse-
quent to November i, 1906, are dealt with in this chapter.
Families to the number of 543 had homes planned and built for
them by the committee, while 1,029 families were given aid to
build according to their own plans. The 543 families for whom
houses were constructed by the committee received 543 grants,
amounting to $197,942.86, or an average of $364.54 per grant,
and 384 loans amounting to $115,558.33, an average of $300.93
per loan. It will be noted that loans were made only to applicants
who also received grants. The assistance given to the members of
this group amounted in all, therefore, to $313,501.19. In addition,
the applicants whose houses were constructed by the committee,
themselves deposited amounts aggregating $57,073.16 towards
the erection of their homes; but this sum is, of course, distinct
from the relief given and is not included in the above total.
The houses were classified, according to the manner in which
they were planned and built, as Styles I-VI.
TABLE 83. — STYLE OF 543 HOUSES BUILT BY THE HOUSING COM-
MITTEE FOR APPLICANTS RECEIVING AID UNDER THE GRANT
AND LOAN PLAN
Style
Houses of each
specified style
1 I, 2 or 3 rooms
11 3 rooms
III 4 rooms
IV 5 rooms
V 4 rooms
VI 5 rooms
78
9
348
94
I
Total
543
The 1 ,029 applicants who built according to their own plans,
received altogether ^206,22 1 .98 in grants, an average of ^200.41 per
grant. The amounts granted to individuals ranged from $55 to?570.*
In its work of construction the committee employed 20 build-
ing contractors f and one plumbing contractor. The average cost
* The apparent discrepancy between this figure and the maximum of $595
given on page 254 is accounted for by the fact that grants are discussed above, loans
previously.
t The contractors engaged were those accustomed to handle a small amount
of building, the larger and more responsible contractors being unwilling to under-
take to handle such small lots of building,
258
FAMILIES AIDED BY GRANTS AND LOANS
of the 543 dwellings erected was $544.92 for the construction work
alone. Five hundred and eleven of these houses were equipped
with plumbing at an additional cost averaging $146.15 per house.
To obtain the material presented in this study, visits were
made to 1,157 of the families who had received grants or
grants and loans from the housing committee. From 896, or 77
per cent of the families visited, schedules were obtained for tabu-
lation. No trace of 1 72 of the remaining 261 could be found. They
had received aid to build their own houses, and had undoubtedly
done so in most cases. As they had come as strangers into their
various new neighborhoods, only to move shortly, the people in the
immediate vicinity knew nothing of them. Of the remaining 89
families, 33 had rented and 35 had sold their houses, and had dis-
appeared. Only eight persons were found who had received aid but
had not built; 13 who had built refused to give any information.
4. FAMILIES MAKING USE OF THE GRANTS AND LOANS
Data with regard to who and what the 896 families visited
were, are given in the following pages. The 28 different nationali-
ties represented is a greater number than for those who received the
bonus, a smaller number than for the camp cottagers.
TABLE 84. — NATIONALITY OF APPLICANTS RECEIVING AID UNDER
THE GRANT AND LOAN PLAN
Nationality
Native born ap-
plicants whose
parents were of
each specified
nationality
Foreign born ap-
plicants of each
specified nation-
ality
American
Irish
German
English
Italian
Swedish .
Scotch
French
Austrian
Danish
Other nati
ional
ities
397
19
12
3
3
• •
3
I
• •
• •
7
115
108
43
33
24
18
18
12
12
68
Total .
445
451
259
HOUSING REHABILITATION
The Americans and Irish head the list, as in the camp cottage
group. The large number of Americans and the small number of
Italians as compared with the bonus group may be explained in
part by the fact that these applicants were not compelled to build
in the burned section, which, it may be recalled, included the por-
tions of the city that had been most thickly settled by the Irish
and Italians.
The status of the families that had received the grant and
loan was more normal than that of either of the other groups.
This is shown by the figures given in Table 85.
TABLE 85. — CONJUGAL CONDITION OF FAMILIES RECEIVING AID
UNDER THE GRANT AND LOAN PLAN
Conjugal condition
Families of each specified
conjugal condition
Married couples
Widows or deserted wives
Widowers
Single men
Single women
729
127
18
1 1
1 1
Total
896
The above 14 per cent of widows and deserted wives should
be compared with the 31 per cent for the camp cottage group,
and the 26 per cent of widows for the bonus group. A family to
avail itself of this aid had to have resources of its own. The
widows and deserted wives with children had with these 127 ex-
ceptions to be helped in other ways. In 143 instances, or 16 per
cent of the total, the families had others living with them. There
were 2,069 children in all the families, or 2.3 to each family. The
number of children to an Italian family was 2.5; to an Irish family,
3.0; and to an American family, i .9. In 689, or 77 per cent of the
families, the domestic status, when visited, was the same as before
the fire. The remaining 207 families, or 23 per cent, had been
unable to maintain the same family relations. The separation or
scattering of their members was attributed to the following causes :
In 82 families a death or deaths had occurred. The children
from 40 families had left home to work or to attend school, adult
260
FAMILIES AIDED BY GRANTS AND LOANS
members of 37 families went away to work or for other purposes,
and children from 37 families married and left home. There were
eight cases of divorce or desertion, and three cases in which the
nature of the family's change of status could not be determined.
It is not known to what extent the deaths in 82 families
were caused indirectly by the disaster. There was but slight
variation in the number of dependents carried before and after the
fire. Some changes were due to loss of members of the family
by death or marriage and the loss of earning power due to old age.
The actual number of families in which there were no dependents
had decreased in the fall of 1908 from 91 to 70.
Of the 896 applications, 161 , or 18 per cent, were filed by the
wife or some other woman member of the family. As in the other
groups, the age of each applicant, but not of the members of his
or her family, was obtained.
TABLE 86. — AGES OF APPLICANTS RECEIVING AID UNDER THE GRANT
AND LOAN PLAN
Age period
Applicants in each
age period
Less than 30 years
30 years and less than 40 years
40 years and less than 50 years
50 years and less than 60 years
60 years and less than 70 years
70 years and less than 80 years
80 years and over
76
279
290
147
74
27
3
Total
896
The majority of the applicants were in the prime of life,
with small families whom they supported by their daily wages.
Some of the comparatively small number — 251 applicants — above
fifty years of age were not able to work on full time.
Upon the question of the health of the families before the fire,
during the period of camp life, and after moving into the new
home, information was secured for 882 cases. Only 53 families
reported a handicap due to ill health for the period before the
fire, as compared with 356 who report ill health during the period of
camp life, and 294 who report ill health after moving into the new
261
HOUSING REHABILITATION
home. It is probable that the estimate of 53 families handicapped
by illness before the fire is too low.
It would appear from the above that an unduly large pro-
portion suffered from illness during the two and one-half years
following the disaster. The schedules state in many cases that
sickness was due directly to the earthquake, the fire, and subse-
quent abnormal living conditions. It is impossible to state the
number so handicapped as distinct from those whose illness had no
connection with the catastrophe.
5. OCCUPATIONS AND RESOURCES
Only 66 of the men in the grant and loan group were pro-
prietors in business before the disaster; the remainder being
skilled and unskilled wage-earners. Though only 66 of these
men could claim business ownership before the fire, they had
been engaged in 31 difi'erent industries or professions. Their
distribution by groups of occupations was as follows: profes-
sional, three; personal and domestic, 10; manufactures, 21;
trades, 30. The past occupations of one who was retired and
of one who would not give the information are not material.
Of the 66, only 46 were in business for themselves after the
fire. The rather meager incomes drawn by these applicants from
their business or profession before and since the disaster are given
below:
TABLE 87. — MONTHLY INCOME BEFORE AND AFTER THE FIRE OF
MEN RECEIVING AID UNDER THE GRANT AND LOAN PLAN
WHO WERE IN BUSINESS BEFORE THE FIRE
Monthly income
$25 and less than $100 .
$100 and less than $200
$200 and less than $300
"A living"
Total .
MEN HAVING MONTHLY INCOMES
AS SPECIFIED
Before fire
After fire
35
17
6
8
22
9
• •
14
66
45
^ Of the 46 men who were in business after the fire, one refused to supply
information relative to business income.
262
Built by the owner with insurance money and Sgr^ilt of $250
» » •
Built by a teamster with a grant of $250 and money privately loaned
Grant and Loan Houses
« •
FAMILIES AIDED BY GRANTS AND LOANS
The incomes received after the disaster did not differ widely
from those received before, though a larger number, it is seen,
reported having merely a scant living.
Seventy-five per cent of the men in the grant and loan group
worked for wages or on a monthly salary before the fire. They
include artisans, men of ordinary skill, and laborers, engaged in 87
different industries. Of the 670 wage-earning or salaried men for
whom data were tabulated 16 were employed in professional ser-
vice, 230 in personal and domestic service, 254 in manufacturing
or mechanical pursuits, and 170 in trade, transportation, or mis-
cellaneous occupations. The wages received ranged from $25 to
$200 per month. Two hundred and eighteen men received larger
wages before the fire than after, but the reverse was true in 285
cases. The indication is that the abnormal conditions had made
no great change in the earnings for the two and a half years after
the fire.
As in the other groups, the incomes here considered are based
upon the nominal wage, for no estimate of the irregularity in the
employment, either before or after the disaster, could be obtained.
During the period immediately following the earthquake, many
men of this group could not secure steady employment. The
family incomes, therefore, were for a time very meager.
Before the fire seven of the women were occupied in pro-
fessional work, 137 in personal and domestic service, 15 in trades,
and 51 in manufactures, — a total of 210 women* who received
incomes with which to support themselves wholly or in part.
About half worked outside their own homes, and about half,
working within or without, had a business or a profession of their
own. The largest single occupation was that of letting rooms.
While the number of women that contributed to the family
income decreased after the fire, from 210 to 133, the amount of
income remained practically the same, and the nature of their
employment did not vary to any great extent. The fact that fewer
families had housing space for lodgers probably accounts for the
decrease in the number of women contributors after the disaster.
With reference to the family income as a whole, a comparison
of incomes of the 896 families before and after the disaster shows
that 252 families had a greater income before, 347 a greater in-
* See Table 88, p. 264.
263
HOUSING REHABILITATION
come afterwards; 129 families could show no change in income.
Of the remainder, 66 did not know whether there was variation,
and two refused to give the information. On the whole, the Relief
Survey showed that a large majority of these applicants had, at
the time of the investigation, adjusted themselves to conditions
so that they were on a normal basis and were earning practically
the same amounts as before the disaster.
TABLE 88. — MONTHLY INCOME BEFORE AND AFTER THE FIRE OF
WOMEN IN FAMILIES RECEIVING AID UNDER THE GRANT
AND LOAN PLAN^
Monthly income
WOMEN HAVING MONTHLY INCOMES
AS SPECIFIED
Before fire
After fire
Less than S20
$20 and less than $30
$30 and less than S40
$40 and less than S50
$50 and less than $60
$60 and over
"Made a living"
"Aided husband"
45
46
47
22
15
28
2
3
30
28
26
14
II
1 1
9
3
Total
208
132
^ Of the 210 women who had incomes before the fire two refused to supply
information relative to income. Only 133 of the 210 women had incomes after the
fire, and of these one refused to supply information relative to income.
The number of contributors to the family income was not
seriously altered by the abnormal conditions. Six hundred and
seven, or 68 per cent, of the families had the same number con-
tributing to the income afterwards as before, and in practically
every instance the contributors were identical. In the many
families with but one breadwinner there was no change. The
157 instances in which the number of contributors was greater
before the fire, and the 121 instances in which the number was
greater afterwards, might be accounted for by normal changes in
family life. Eleven of the families supplied no information on
this subject. In a certain number of families, children having
reached their majority during the interval from April, 1906, to
264
FAMILIES AIDED BY GRANTS AND LOANS
September, 1908, had left home to seek employment elsewhere.
Changes due to death, to sickness, to marriage, and old age
have been already commented upon. With this group of families,
as with the bonus families, there were some members apart from
young children who were non-contributors to the common income.
Three hundred and twenty-eight of these applicants, or 37
per cent, are known to have received insurance varying in amounts
from less than $250 to $5,000; 234 of the number received less than
J500. As the payments .were greatly delayed in some instances
the insured were hindered in the completing of their building plans.
The grants were often received from the housing committee before
the insurance was finally adjusted.
As far as could be learned, only 162, or 18 per cent, had
savings in amounts sufficient to aid them to rebuild. The people
either had received income not more than enough to meet current
expenses or had managed unwisely. The savings varied from less
than $50 by each of 12 applicants to between $2^000 and $3,000
deposited by one. One hundred and twenty-four had less than
$500.
When visited, only 53 of the applicants, or 6 per cent, were
found to possess property in addition to the house in which they
lived, while before the fire, 128, or 14 per cent, had owned either
a small lot or a house and lot which had been rented to others.
The greater number of these properties were small, ranging in value
from $500 to $1,500.
In addition to the grants and loans made by the housing
committee, 233 applicants had negotiated private loans secured
by a mortgage on the lot and on the house to be erected, in amounts
ranging from less than $100 to over $5,000. A few large amounts
were obtained after the housing committee loan was made, and
were used to erect a larger house or to replace a temporary one.
At the time of the investigation 66 families had paid their debts in
full, and 74 had reduced them by as much as one-fourth. Sixty-
two families had received additional money in gifts from relatives
and friends, from trade unions, fraternal lodges, consuls, and from
special funds, the amounts ranging from less than $100 to $1,500.
Only 93 of the applicants, or about 10 per cent, owned the
property on which they lived at the time of the earthquake, but
265
HOUSING REHABILITATION
in order to take advantage of the grant and loan offer 670, or 75 per
cent, purchased lots afterwards. As is seen in Table 89, these lots
varied greatly in value. The average frontage was about 25 feet.
TABLE 89. — VALUE OF LOTS PURCHASED AFTER THE FIRE BY 67O
APPLICANTS RECEIVING AID UNDER THE GRANT AND
LOAN PLAN
Value of lot
Applicants owning
lots of each specified
value
Less than $500 . .
jf $00 and less than $1,000
$1,000 and less than ^2,000
$2,000 and over
227
274
92
77
Total
670
For the most part these lots were on tracts outside the burned
district. Instead of returning to rented quarters in former con-
gested centers, many built their own homes in the more thinly
settled parts of the city where lots could be purchased at a low
rate. A few were unfortunate in the choice of location, as the
effort to get to and from the daily work was too great. A small
number, therefore, gave up their lots and rented quarters closer
to their employment. The street-car strike of 1907 was the cause
of some removals. Fifty-nine families leased lots for a definite
period of from two to ten years, at a rate of from $1.00 to $25 a
month. The greater number paid a ground rent of from $5.00
to 5 10. A few others were given free use of lots by relatives or
intimate friends.
6. HOUSING BEFORE AND AFTER THE FIRE
Very little is known about the rented dwellings in which most
of the families had lived, though a few are known to have occupied
both upper and lower stories. After the fire only 41 rented their
homes and lived elsewhere. They were not housed in as large
buildings as before the fire, but at the time of the investigation
were settled fairly comfortably in their own homes.
The number of rooms occupied by the families before and
after the disaster varied but slightly.
266
FAMILIES AIDED BY GRANTS AND LOANS
TABLE 90. — NUMBER OF ROOMS PER FAMILY OCCUPIED BEFORE AND
AFTER THE FIRE BY FAMILIES RECEIVING AID UNDER THE GRANT
AND LOAN PLAN^
Number of rooms occupied
FAMILIES OCCUPYING EACH
SPECIFIEDNUMBEROF ROOMS
Before fire
After fire
I
2 ^ .
3
4 and less than 7
7 and less than 10
10 and less than 13
25
59
181
590
35
I
10
52
203
613
14
I
Total
891
893
a Of the 896 families investigated, five failed to supply information relative
to the number of rooms occupied before the fire, and three, relative to the num-
ber of rooms occupied after the fire.
The number of families that sublet rooms to others or kept
roomers both before and after the fire was small in comparison
with the number of bonus applicants who rented rooms.* Before
the disaster 1 79 families, or 20 per cent, added to their income by
subletting; at the time of the investigation only 74, or a little more
than 8 per cent, did so. The reason is that the grant and loan
applicants were themselves to a large extent living in rented rooms
before the fire, and afterwards in houses that contained no more
rooms than were called for by the family needs.
Before the fire 382 families, or 43 per cent, did not have a
bath in the house. In the new homes built with the aid of a grant
or loan 355, or 40 per cent, were without this convenience. There
is no question but that it would have been a great gain to families
if, through the instigation of the housing committee, all could have
been brought to install baths in their new houses. Practically all
the houses were connected with the city water supply. Toilets
were installed, but a few were on the outside, not within the houses.
Most of them were connected with the regular sewerage system
and but a very few houses had cesspools attached. The plumbing,
though simple and cheap in quality, was found to be in fairly
good condition and to have served its purpose satisfactorily.
* See Part IV, pp. 250-251.
267
HOUSING REHABILITATION
The houses were either painted or, as in the greater number of
instances, shingled on the exterior. They presented a neat appear-
ance. At the date of the investigation, most of the houses, having
been erected but a very short time, were in good repair and- afforded
ample shelter to the families occupying them. For the most part
they were one-story buildings. A few, however, were one and one-
half and two stories. All were built of wood, and a majority stood
on wooden foundations. Some few stood on either a new or an
old concrete or brick foundation. .Some had basements which
were sublet as living quarters or were used for storage purposes.
It is difficult to determine whether the housing committee should
have prevented the building and use of basements as dwellings.
Some were unfit for habitation, but not infrequently, as the houses
were built on the side of a steep hill, the basements were well-
lighted and drained. A few of the families used their houses
for the joint purpose of residence and business, but not so large
a number as before the disaster. Individual thrift and enterprise
were shown by many of the applicants, who for not more than ^700
had been able to build and furnish their houses within and without
in an artistic and attractive way. The woodwork in some cases was
well-finished and had been painted by a member of the household.
The houses so improved had an attractive, homelike appearance.
Much disappointment was felt by some applicants who had
had houses built for them by the committee's contractors, when
they compared their houses with those built at no greater expense
by applicants who had used their own plans. As a rule, most of
the latter houses were well built. They were more solid, warmer,
and more satisfactory as far as cost and specifications were con-
cerned. However, some of the houses that were built for the appli-
cants by contractors were almost as unsatisfactory as those built
by the committee's contractors. The contract houses for the most
part showed poor workmanship, with inferior lumber and finish.
Most were considered 'Tmished'' when they, mere shells, had but
few doors and windows, no shelves, no steps, no ceilihgs, and no
adequate foundations. A few did not have building paper placed
on the sides of the house between the rough boards and the shingles
or other outer finish to keep out the rain and the wind. To remedy
these defects and to make many needed improvements, such as
268
Built by the Housing Committee^',
Built by the owner, who had some resources
Grant and Loan Houses
FAMILIES AIDED BY GRANTS AND LOANS
plastering, painting, the building of porches, and other additions
necessary to render each house a habitable home, the owner had
to make a heavy outlay. A few of these '' beginnings '' which served
as homes, cost without plumbing about $200 to ^300.
Frequently arrangements were made between the owner and
the contractor whereby certain alterations were made on payment
of $50 to $70 in addition to the contract price. Steps cost ^10
more; a better foundation, often necessary because of a deep
slope, $10 to $20 additional; larger windows $20 to ^40 extra;
a dormer roof instead of a gable, $40 more. All departures from
the original contract were supposed to have the approval of the
committee, but its consent was not always obtained.
In cases where the owner lived nearby, or on part of the same
lot, and could maintain a general supervision, or as in a few in-
stances, where the lot owner and contractor were old friends, the
houses erected by the committee's contractors were substantially
constructed.
As already stated, only 93 of these applicants, or about 10
per cent, owned the houses in which they were living at the time
of the disaster. The value of the residences owned before the
disaster and after are given in Table 91.
TABLE 91. — VALUE OF HOUSES OWNED BEFORE AND AFTER THE FIRE
BY APPLICANTS RECEIVING AID UNDER THE GRANT AND LOAN PLAN ^
Value of houses
Less than $500
$500 and less than $1,000
$1,000 and less than $1,500
$1,500 and less than $2,000
$2,000 and less than $3,000
$3,000 and less than $4,000
$4,000 and less than $5,000
$5,000 and less than $6,000
$6,000 and over
Total
APPLICANTS OWNING HOUSES OF
EACH SPECIFIED VALUE
Before fire
I
4
12
14
24
16
9
3
5
88
After fire
174
533
104
28
14
3
I
2
859
a Of the 896 applicants investigated 37 failed to supply information relative
to houses owned after the fire. Of the 93 applicants who owned houses before
the fire, five failed to supply information relative to the value of the houses.
269
HOUSING REHABILITATION
After the fire, nearly 75 per cent of the houses ranged in value
from $500 to $2,000. Some who built houses worth less than $500
did so in order to have a temporary cottage while waiting to put
up a permanent home on the same lot.
The cost of the houses erected by the housing committee
through their own contractors was from a minimum of $333 to a
maximum of $875. It will be recalled that the published notice
of the housing committee was to the effect that its aid to appli-
cants who built for themselves would be confined to those build-
ing houses worth not more than $750. As the committee found
a large number needing aid, who were anxious to build houses
of greater value, it doubtless acted wisely in extending its limit.
Four hundred and thirty-seven of the applicants, or over one-half
of those the value of whose houses was known, built at a cost
greater than $750.*
TABLE 92. — MONTHLY RENTALS PAID BEFORE THE FIRE BY FAMILIES
RECEIVING AID UNDER THE GRANT AND LOAN PLAN^
Monthly rental
Families paying each
specified monthly
rental
Less than $10
Sio and less than $20
S20 aqd less than $30
$30 and less than S40
$40 and less than S50
$50 and less than $60
$60 and less than S70
S70 and less than $So
$80 and over
98
402
83
21
5
6
• •
I
I
Total
617
a Of the 896 applicants investigated, 93 owned houses before the fire and
therefore paid no rent, and 186 failed to supply information relative to rent paid.
If those who paid less than $10 a month rent were families
and not single persons, the quarters, it is safe to say, were inade-
quate. Those who paid the larger rents specified did so in order
* Compare with p. 253. It will be noted that the regulation fixing the maxi-
mum value of the houses to be constructed at $750, applied only in cases where
applicants made their own contracts. Of the 437 houses exceeding $750 in value,
a large number were doubtless built under diflFerent arrangements so that the $750
limit did not apply. See cases of expensive building, Part IV, p. 273 ff.
270
STATUS OF LOANS IN I909 AND I9I I
to sublet. During the period intervening between the destruction
of their homes and the building of other houses by the aid of grants
and loans, shelter had been sought in various places and under
many different conditions. Ninety-six families had been living
in one of the official camps. Three hundred and six occupied
their houses before the grant was received, moving into unfinished
houses in order to avoid payment of rent or to get away from an
undesirable environment. Many of the families living in unfin-
ished houses were given a grant to complete plumbing or some other
needed improvement.
7. STATUS OF LOANS IN 1909 AND 1911 AND ADDITIONAL AID
As has already been seen 384 loans were made to persons for
whom houses were constructed by the housing committee.* The
amount of these loans was ^i 15,558.33. These figures are based
on a final statement of loans, made by the auditor of the San
Francisco Relief and Red Cross Funds on April 29, 191 1, when all
the accounts had been closed. f
The loans ranged from a minimum of ^37 to a maximum of
^595. They were payable in monthly instalments of $10 or more
with interest at 6 per cent.
On January 20, 1909, a short time after this investigation
was completed, a report issued by the special collector of loan
instalments indicated the status with reference to payment of
these obligations. There were at that time 97 recipients of loans,
25 per cent of the total number, who had ceased making payments
or had never made any, and were therefore to be considered delin-
quent. Between 200 and 300 were paying from time to time but
had not settled their accounts in full. The total amount that had
been collected was $54,310.60, and the balance unpaid, exclusive
of interest, was $61,247.73. In a report to the auditor it was
stated that " some of the grantees have been very prompt in meet-
ing their obligations but a large number have not seen fit to meet
their monthly installments.'' As a matter of fact some of the
*See Part IV, p. 258.
t One grant of $ioo which was subsequently refunded, and which was en-
tered on certain statements as a loan, is not included in the figures given in this
section.
271
HOUSING REHABILITATION
loans were, for various reasons, converted into grants and the
account of the apphcant closed.
Between January, 1909 and January i, 191 1, a considerable
sum was collected. The situation on the latter date, a^ reported
by the auditor, is shown by the following statement:
TABLE 93. — STATUS ON JANUARY I, I9II, OF LOANS TO FAMILIES
RECEIVING AID UNDER THE GRANT AND LOAN PLAN
Total amount of housing loans i^J^5»558.33
Collections on housing loans
Principal . . $82,200.30
interest . 8,011.25
" 0,21 1.55
BaJance of principal unpaid J33»358.03
The statement shows that $82,200.30, 71. i per cent of the
principal loaned, had been collected, in addition to $8,011.25
interest. More than half of the principal repaid represents the
repayment in full of 188 or 49.0 per cent of the loans. The remain-
ing loans were canceled or changed to grants, 22 wholly, 174 in
part, — some for the reason that the circumstances of applicants
had changed, and they were unable to pay as agreed, and
some because collecting was likely to entail undue expense. As it
was, the expense of collecting the money recovered came to
$11,460.10.
The Rehabilitation Committee gave the following additional
aid to 356 of the 896 grant and loan cases studied.
TABLE 94. — ADDITIONAL AID FROM THE RELIEF FUNDS GIVEN TO
FAMILIES RECEIVING AID UNDER THE GRANT AND LOAN PLAN ^
Nature of additional aid
Families received additional aid
of each specified nature
Household
General relief
Tools for mechanics and artisans
Transportation
279
44
II
3
Total
337
a Of the 896 families investigated only 356 received additional aid, and 19 of
the 356 failed to supply information as to the nature of the aid received.
272
STATUS OF LOANS IN I909 AND IQI I
Forty per cent of the entire number received additional aid
in comparison with 24 per cent of the bonus cases. In most
instances no earnings or savings were available for the purchase of
a lot and for initial building expenses. The household grants were
therefore needed especially by those who had lived in the burned
district.
TABLE 95. — AMOUNT OF ADDITIONAL GRANTS FROM THE RELIEF
FUNDS MADE TO FAMILIES RECEIVING AID UNDER THE
GRANT AND LOAN PLAN
Amount of additional aid
Families receiving addi-
tional aid as
specified
Less than $50
$50 and less than $100
j 1 00 and less than $150
$150 and less than $200
J200 and less than $250
$250 and less than $300
$300 and less than $3 50
J350 and over
89
148
75
25
10
6
2
I
Total
356
8. CASES OF EXPENSIVE BUILDING
Six cases of families that built homes worth more than
2,000 each will give some idea, though inadequate, of the
circumstances surrounding some of the more fortunate of this
group of 896 applicants.
The first is a German family of three members, the man a
waiter, aged forty-four, who earned $50 a month before the fire,
his wife, and one dependent child. He was one of the 93 applicants
who had owned the home in which he lived. His house and lot
were valued at ^6,000, and by sub-letting a part of the house he
added $20 a month to his income. The insurance carried was
$3,500, of which $2,800 was paid. He built a temporary shack
to house his family, at a cost of $300, towards the payment of
which he was granted $150. He now has an eighteen-room house
18 273
HOUSING REHABILITATION
worth $8,700. The business loan of $6,200 negotiated by him
was reduced by $200 at the time of the investigation, and he was
sub-letting rooms, somewhat irregularly, at $145 a month. His
wages as waiter had increased $5.00 a month. The child's constant
sickness had been a handicap. The grant was for the temporary
shack erected probably before the insurance was received or any
definite plan made for permanent rebuilding.
The second family, Danish, had also three members, the
man a carpenter, aged forty-seven, his wife, and a child. Before
and after the disaster the man made $80 at his trade and he later
became a teamster at the same wage. The family belongs to the
group that paid rent, which was reduced by sub-letting. Their
rental had been $18 a month for a second-story flat of five rooms,
three of which had been sub-let for $15 a month. The insurance
carried on his household goods was $200, of which he collected $70.
The seven-room house built after the fire cost the Dane $3,800,
the lot $850, to pay for which a private loan of $3,300 was negoti-
ated, and a grant of $200 obtained from the housing committee.
The debt at the time of the investigation had been reduced to
$2,320. The man, being a carpenter, had done most of the inside
work on his house. The family was occupying three rooms and
sub-letting four at a monthly rental of $18.75. There had been
no sickness in the family. The grant was small in comparison with
the cost of the house and lot, but it may have been the fillip
needed to bring the man to the point of purchase. The rate at
which the debt was being canceled seems to justify the big venture.
If the family escape the handicaps of sickness and accident during
the next few years, the result will indicate that the housing com-
mittee was warranted in extending aid.
The third, another German family, likewise is a family of
three, but in this instance an old couple, the man seventy-seven,
and a grown son, an electrician who had earned $140 a month.
The house which they had owned before the fire, valued with the
"lot" at $10,000, had 19 rooms, 13 of which were let for $82.50 a
month. An insurance of $6,000 was carried, on which $4,500 was
collected, which happened to be the exact amount of the mortgage
on the property. This family also, soon after the fire, built a cheap
cottage, price $500, towards payment for which the housing com-
274
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CASES OF EXPENSIVE BUILDING
mittee granted ^305. The electrician and a married son, the one
other child, who lived away from home, later built a ^6,000 two-
story twenty-room apartment house, from which is drawn $1 10 a
month in rents. There is no record of the source from which the
^6,000 was drawn. This group had carried no burden of sickness.
The fourth is a large Irish family, a man of forty-four, his
wife, and eight children. As agent for a railroad company he had
earned $80 a month before the fire, and was afterwards advanced
to $100. They had rented for $30 a month a house of 1 1 rooms^
four of which they had sub-let for ^20. They had no insurance,,
but had savings to the amount of $500. The house of eight rooms
which they built after the fire on a $1,500 lot, cost $5,000, towards
payment for which the housing committee granted $250. The
Rehabilitation Committee gave $100 for furniture. At the time
of the investigation the mortgage on the property amounted to
$2,300, and two of the children were earning $89 a month. This
family is financially better off than in 1 906. While in camp they
had suffered to some extent from sickness.
The fifth is another Irish family, that of a laborer of thirty-
seven, his wife, and two young children. Before the fire he had
earned $65 a month, after the fire $85, but at the time of the in-
vestigation he was earning but $60 irregularly. The family had
formerly rented a four-room flat for $13 a month, and though no
insurance was carried, had savings amounting to $1,600. Of this
sum $650 was used in purchasing a lot on which a $3,000 house was
built. The house was not yet entirely furnished at the time of
the investigation. The committee grant was $250. The debt
carried exactly equaled the amount of savings before the fire.
The family had had sickness, which had meant a heavy outlay
for medical care.
The sixth and last is an American family of two maiden
sisters, aged about fifty-five. As dressmakers they had earned
$60 a month and had lived in their own house of 17 rooms, valued
with the lot at $6,000, on which was a $2,800 mortgage. They
sub-let six rooms for $45 a month. The insurance collected was
but $300, and after the fire they were able to earn but $55 a month.
The sixteen-room house they built cost $7,000, on which they had
a debt of $4,800. Their housing grant was $200, and they had
275
HOUSING REHABILITATION
received an additional rehabilitation grant of $200 for furniture
and a sewing machine. At the time of the investigation they were
earning $70 at their trade and were collecting $20 a month for
rent. They too had been handicapped by sickness, and had had
difficulties with their contractor.
9. BRIEF COMMENTS
Perhaps no more important rehabilitation work was done
than that by the housing committee. Partly through its stimu-
lating efforts, by means of the grant and loan plan, many persons,
the majority of whom were wage-earners who had carried but little
insurance, accumulated small savings, and had but few friends
and relatives to extend help, were brought to own their homes.
The chief difficulty that the committee had to contend with
was the securing of competent and reliable contractors and
plumbers. From time to time they had to make changes which
increased their own work of supervision and worked hardship
to the applicants. By giving a few orders at a time to a con-
tractor, with the promise of further orders if the work were satis-
factory,* the effort was made to stimulate sound work. The best
results were secured, as has been shown, by the encouragement to
men to themselves build or to superintend their own building.
Those who had initiative or the resource of friends in the building
trade were able to get what they wanted; those who lacked busi-
ness push trusted to contractors. The lesson is plainly writ,
however, that where feasible, the encouraging of men, in an emer-
gency, to assume responsibility for providing their own homes,
promises better results than to offer, under abnormal conditions,
to build houses in quantity for sale. The personal equation in
this matter, as in every other, precludes the drawing of any sweep-
ing conclusion. The plan of the housing committee to study each
applicant, and then make the plan as closely fit his case as the
prevailing conditions will allow, is a safe one.
GENERAL CONCLUSIONS ON HOUSING PLANS
A very large proportion of the workingmen and small trades-
men in San Francisco own their own houses and lots. The land
* The result was a rushing of work for the sake of prospective orders.
276
GENERAL CONCLUSIONS ON HOUSING PLANS
values in certain sections had not been excessive, so that many
wage-earners were able to invest savings in small lots on which to
establish permanent homes. What part the Corporation took in
adding to the number of those who own their own homes has been
shown in this study.
It has been pointed out that the bonus group received the
most bountiful housing aid, that the grant and loan group came
second in the securing of liberal assistance, and that the camp
cottage people were given the least.
The re-visit, to recapitulate, showed that a majority of the
persons who received the bonus, which it must be borne in mind
cannot be called a relief measure, possessed not a little property,
were fairly well established in business or at profitable employ-
ment, and were entirely able to re-establish their homes when the
unsettled conditions had passed. At the date of the re-visit this
group of people were housed in their own homes, which compared
favorably in almost every way with those occupied when the earth-
quake came.
The erection of cottages within the camps to serve as tem-
porary shelter for approximately 18,000 people, was well planned
and efficiently executed. As has been shown, a number of the
cottages came later into the possession of speculators or were
soon taken over by landlords in satisfaction of unpaid ground rent.
On the other hand, many were owned by persons who were able
to purchase small lots, and who in the fall of 1908 bid fair to retain
their attractive and comfortable little homes. Without the gift
of the cottages this would not have been possible to them. It
would seem on the whole that these applicants were better housed
at the date of the investigation than at the time of the fire which,
probably, more than any other single fact, indicates the soundness
of the housing plans.
The standards of many of the families who received camp
cottages were so low that an extensive scheme of constructive
philanthropy by which an effort might have been made slowly to
raise their standards of living would have been of great value.
This would have been a stupendous task. But should the ex-
penditure of another great rehabilitation fund be called for, ought
not such an attempt to be kept in mind?
277
HOUSING REHABILITATION
The plan to aid applicants with small grants and loans
was undoubtedly well conceived and effectively worked out. The
machinery installed by the housing committee enabled it to reach
the class of people whom it was most anxious to help, also to weed
out a large number that it was thought unwise to aid. The great
merit of the grant and loan policy was that it stimulated a large
number to purchase lots and erect homes of their own who other-
wise would probably |never have seriously considered the possi-
bility.
278
PART V
RELIEF WORK OF THE ASSOCIATED
CHARITIES FROM JUNE, 1907,
TO JUNE, 1909
Part V
3. Permanent Relief
4. Relief Refused
5. Conclusions .
6. The Associated Charities Since the Fire
PAGE
281
RELIEF WORK OF THE ASSOCIATED CHARITIES FROM
JUNE, 1907, TO JUNE, 1909
I. The Nature of the Cases .
1. Introductory . . .
2. Nature of the Dependency .
3. Social Character of the Cases
4. Occupations of Applicants .
11. The Methods of Relief Employed
1. Reapplications
2. Emergent Relief
28!
282
286
294
298
298
299
305
310
317
THE NATURE OF THE CASES
1. INTRODUCTORY
IN Parts I and 1 1 frequent mention has been made of the im-
portant rehabiHtation role played by the Associated Charities.
In this fifth part of the Relief Survey, measure is taken of the
burden carried by the Associated Charities for the two years after
it resigned as an investigating agent of the San Francisco Relief
and Red Cross Funds and took up, with the financial aid of the
funds, its independent work of caring for the remnant. The
remnant was composed of the people who had suffered from the
earthquake and fire but had asked for no help until more than a
year had elapsed; of those who continued to need aid because
of the extraordinary vicissitudes of their life; of others who had
formed the habit of turning to a relief agency for assistance; and
of those who required further succor because that given by the
Corporation had been inadequate.
The Associated Charities was selected for special study,
not only because it had been continuously the agent of the Cor-
poration, but because its work promised to give the fullest answer
to the question : To what extent has the San Francisco problem of
dependency deepened? This study is, then, in a sense, an exhi-
bition of the aftermath of the great disaster.
The range of the inquiry involved the asking of three
questions: First, what was the character of the rehabilitation?
Second, how was it done? Third, — a quadruple question, —
how much was induced by the disaster itself, how much by the
fact of the existence of relief measures the year after the disaster,
how much by the administration of these measures, and how much
by conditions that tend at all times to produce dependency?
The field of investigation plainly defines itself as: first, to
know the number and character of the persons that remained de-
281
RELIEF WORK OF ASSOCIATED CHARITIES
pendent after the fifteen months of conscientious rehabilitation
work, and to compare them in regard to number and character with
the lesser number of persons that for two years before the disaster
were under the care of the Associated Charities; second, to learn
what methods of relief were used to render these persons once more
effective members of the community; and third, to measure in
some degree the efficiency of these methods.
The primary purpose of this study was to learn as far as
possible the psychological effects of the disaster by studying a
group of refugees who continued to draw on the relief funds after
the general public had fallen out of the bread line. It has been
impossible, however, to hold strictly to the purpose, because the
Associated Charities,* in resuming its normal place in the com-
munity, aimed rightly to administer to the needs of the city's
poor whether or not the individual applicant could show a relation
between his necessity and the disaster. From the point of view
of the Associated Charities, all persons applying for aid from June,
1907, to June, 1909, had an equal claim on its funds. Its power
of realizing this aim of impartially meeting the needs of the
applicants has been limited by the fact that as a society it was
known by the public at large, as well as by the direct and indirect
sufferers from the disaster, by their relatives, and by their friends,
to be acting as the financial agent of a corporation that continued
to have large sums of money to disburse.
2. NATURE OF THE DEPENDENCY
The interest in the relief administration centers in the desire
to know to what extent it altered the poverty situation of the city.
The presumption is, of course, that the work of the Associated
Charities and kindred agencies was greatly increased by the
disaster, but it is important to get a specific idea of the increase
for the two selected years, and to determine what proportion is a
distinct result of the social upheaval brought by the earthquake
and fire of 1906.
To answer this question required a knowledge of the work
* Before and since the disaster the Associated Charities has been, except for
the work done by the Hebrew Board of Relief, the accepted general relief society.
It has had, throughout, the active co-operation of the Catholics.
282
THE NATURE OF THE CASES
of the Associated Charities for the two years before the fire as
exact as for the two years under consideration.* By one of the
most notable incidents of the great fire, the building containing the
records of the Associated Charities escaped the flames. These
records, no previous study of whose facts had been made, were
therefore available. The stories of the applicants to the Associ-
ated Charities for the two years preceding April i8, 1906, have been
analyzed, and in order that comparison might be possible, a similar
study of records has been made of the post-disaster cases.
As the means to aid during the two years from June, 1907,
to June, 1909, were drawn almost exclusively from the Corpora-
tion and the Board of Trustees of Relief and Red Cross Funds,
a statement of the work of the Associated Charities is practically
a survey of the further use made of the disaster relief funds.
The Associated Charities, as an independent agent, reopened
its doors to applicants on June 17, 1907; but since it had assumed
the responsibility before the complete transfer of duties was
effected, data are here given for the period beginning June i.
From June i, 1907, until June i, 1909, 6,766 applications were
made to it in the following order:
June I, 1907, to December 31, 1907 2,547
January i, 1908, to December 31, 1908 3»i54
January i, 1909, to June i, 1909 1,065
Total 6,766
From April 18, 1904, to April 18, 1906, 1840 cases had ap-
plied for aid at the office. There was therefore a nearly fourfold
* At the time of the fire the Associated Charities had been in existence for
over seventeen years. Its original aim had been to confine its work to organizing
charity; but as there was no general relief society in existence it was called on more
and more to do relief work. By 1905 the society had a list of 900 subscribers; an
annual income of not more than $5,000; a staff consisting of a general secretary,
two or three paid investigators, and a stenographer on part time. In addition to
these, the office had the exclusive use of two district nurses supported by special
funds. With a staff and an income so limited it was possible to give little beyond
emergency aid to needy families in their homes. The problem of homeless men
was not touched. The initial steps had been taken looking to co-operation with
other philanthropic agencies along several lines. In conjunction with the Merch-
ants' Association, a charities endorsement committee had been formed; a chil-
dren's agency had been established, and a department of legislation and law organ-
ized to originate needed social legislation and to give free legal aid to applicants.
For a resume of the development of the work of the society after the disaster, see
Part V, pp. 317-318.
283
RELIEF WORK OF ASSOCIATED CHARITIES
increase in applications during the two post-disaster years under
comparison. There are no data to show the sequence of increase
or decrease of cases for the earher period. The number of monthly
applications during 1908 and 1909 was as follows:
TABLE 96 —
TIES
-NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS TO THE ASSOCIATED CHARI-
FOR ASSISTANCE, BY MONTHS. I908 AND 1909^
Month
1908
1909
January .
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
474
815
417
219
172
195
146
152
115
173
126
150
229
237
219
145
135
274
113
97
84
42
161
183
Total
3»i54
1,919
» A .1
n
. 1 ♦ . 1
1
r
. 1
1
1
r\
1 . 1
a As the figures in this table are for the calendar years 1908 and 1909, the
totals do not correspond with the figures for the period from June i, 1907, to June
I, 1909, presented in other tables in this Part. While there were some inconsis-
tencies between various records consulted, as to the number of applications per
month, it is believed that the figures presented are approximately correct.
Although for three of the months of 1909, June, November,
and December, there was an increase of applications over the
corresponding months of the previous year, — an increase of 41, 28,
and 22 per cent respectively, — the work for 1909 as a whole, com-
pared with 1908, decreased 39 per cent.
In relating the facts found in the case records of applicants
from June i, 1907, to June i, 1909, 815, or 12 per cent, of the
6766 records are omitted, — 107 because they were found to be the
records of cases belonging not to the Associated Charities but to
other relief societies; 606 because they were not relief society
records, but were those of cases cared for in the City and County
Hospital which for reasons of office organization were, during a
number of months of the year 1907, filed with the Associated
Charities' records; 102 because they were too incomplete to give
the required data. The facts drawn from the remaining 5951
284
THE NATURE OF THE CASES
cases 2tre compared with 1550 cases of the earHer pre-disaster
period. Two hundred and ninety cases, or 15.8 per cent, of the
1840 cases of that period (April 18, 1904, to April 18, 1906), had
to be omitted, some because they were records of cases handled by
other relief societies, and a larger number because the statement
cards lacked sufficient data to permit tabulation. The large num-
ber of cases marked "Unknown'' throughout this study makes it
incontestably plain that the records are lacking in many details.
Though admirably complete as compared with those before the
fire, and much more so during the years 1908 and 1909 than
during 1907, yet data have failed with regrettable frequency.
TABLE 97. — ASSOCIATED CHARITIES CASES CLASSIFIED AS HAVING
LIVED OR NOT HAVING LIVED IN THE BURNED AREA, AND BY
NUMBER AIDED, AND NUMBER REFUSED AID. JUNE I, I907, TO
JUNE I, 1909^
Classes of applicants
Appli-
cants
aided
Appli-
cants
refused
aid
Total
Applicants who had lived in burned area :
With rehabilitation record ....
Without rehabilitation record
1,309
1,512
571
604
1,880
2,1 16
Total
Applicants who had not lived in burned area
2,821
1,303
1,175
439
3,996
1,742
Grand total
4,124
1,614
5,738
a Data are not available as to the former place of residence of 123 of the
4,247 applicants aided, and of 90 of the 1,704 applicants who were refused aid.
One point on which the records in many cases fail to supply
information is as to whether or not the applicant had been burned
out. In the previous studies of this Survey no division has been
made of the refugees into the two classes of those who lived within
or without the burned area, because dependency as a result of the
disaster was known to be due not alone to having been in the first
named class. Since one of the vital points of this study, however,
is to determine how much of the relief work of the Associated
285
RELIEF WORK OF ASSOCIATED CHARITIES
Charities during the second of the two-year periods was due, directly
or indirectly, to the earthquake and fire, an effort has been made to
reach the point by dividing the 5,738 applicants about whom the
fact was known into two groups: 3,996, or 69.6 per cent, of whom
had lived within the burned area; i ,742, or 30.4 per cent, of whom
had lived without. The further classification given in Table 97
reveals the interesting fact that a large number of persons who had
lived in the burned area made no recorded application for re-
habilitation until after June, 1907.
Fifty-three per cent of those burned out, who by June, 1909,
had come to the Associated Charities for assistance, first made ap-
plication for relief needed as a result of the disaster, after the
rehabilitation work was done. Many of them had undoubt-
edly received their share of clothes, had stood in the bread line,
and had lived in the camps, but as their names are not on the
records of the Rehabilitation Committee they had had, up to the
time that they applied to the Associated Charities, no rehabilita-
tion in the accepted sense of the term.
3. SOCIAL CHARACTER OF THE CASES
The social characteristics of these cases are second in im-
portance only to the question of their relation to the disaster.
What do the records show with regard to their nationality,
their family relations, their ages, the size of their families, their
occupations, and their characteristics in general? What were the
disabilities that drove them to ask for help? What proportion of
the disabilities from which they suffered can be marked against
the rehabilitation methods?
Forty-one different countries, as shown by Table 98, are
represented by the persons who made application in each of the
two-year periods, and of whom the place of birth was learned.
The situation as far as nationality governed application
shows but slight variation between the two periods of time. There
are, however, a few interesting variations; as, for instance, the
falling off in the second period in the number of applicants born
in the British Empire, in the Scandinavian countries, and in the
United States. Only the Irish and Italians have materially in-
creased their proportionate numbers. Did the relief funds cause
286
Completely devastated. First tents in Washington Square
^tVt^
Partly Rebuilt. Cottages in Washington Square
Telegraph Hill and Washington Square
THE NATURE OF THE CASES
this increase, or did the catastrophe bear most heavily on these
nationaHties? When it is recalled* that the Latin Quarter was
wiped out and that '* South-of-Market/' largely the residential
quarter of the poor Irish, was entirely burned, the fire seems
undoubtedly to be responsible.
TABLE 98. — NATIVITY OF APPLICANTS FOR RELIEF FROM ASSOCIATED
CHARITIES, BEFORE FIRE AND AFTER FIRE ^
Nativity
United States
Ireland
Italy
Spain, Mexico and Porto Rico
Germany
Great Britain, Canada and Australasia
Norway, Sweden and Denmark
Finland, Russia, Poland and Armenia
Other countries (24) ....
Total
APPLICANTS OF EACH SPECIFIED NATIVITY
Number
Per cent
Before
After
Before
After
fire
fire
fire
fire
532
1,933
42.7
37.0
135
734
10.9
14.0
65
541
5-2
10.4
113
500
9.1
9.6
118
475
9-5
91
113
373
9.1
71
38
138
31
2.6
32
150
2.6
2.9
97
381
7.8
7-3
1.243
5,225
1 00.0
1 00.0
^ Data are not available as to the nationality of 307 of the 1,550 persons
applying for relief before the fire, and of 726 of the 5,95 1 persons applying for relief
after the fire.
No question is of greater importance than that involved in
the relation between relief and the family. In Parts I and II the
effort of the Rehabilitation Committee has been shown to have
been to limit closely the amount of aid given to single, able-bodied
persons and to able-bodied men.f This policy is shown in the
following table to have influenced the work of the Associated
Charities also, so that the widow and the handicapped family
received primary consideration in the extended rehabilitation work.
* Part I, p. 4.
t See Part I, p. 47, and Part II, p. 123. This policy was, of course, being
carried out in spirit when breadwinners were helped not with continued general
relief, but with means to re-establish a home through a housing or business grant.
287
RELIEF WORK OF ASSOCIATED CHARITIES
TABLE 99. — FAMILY TYPES AMONG APPLICANTS FOR RELIEF FROM
ASSOCIATED CHARITIES, BEFORE FIRE AND AFTER FIRE ^
CASES OF EACH SPECIFIED TYPE
Family type
Number
Per cent
Before
fire
After
fire
Before
fire
After
fire
Families
(i) Married couples with children
(2) Married couples without children
(3) Widows with children
(4) Deserted wives with children .
(5) Widowers with children .
(6) Deserted husbands with children
(7) Divorced men or women with
children ....
(8) Orphan families ....
(9) Illegitimate families .
500
109
167
53
41
8
26
10
6
2,012
522
1,044
258
144
20
109
30
65
34.2
7-5
11.4
3.6
2.8
0.6
1.8
0.7
0.4
33.9
8.8
175
4.3
2.4
0.3
1.8
0.5
I.I
Total families ....
Detached persons
Men
Women
920
362
163
4,204
916
798
63.0
24.8
II. I
70.6
15.4
13.4
Total detached persons .
Dependent minors ....
525
16
1,714
33
3.59
1.1
28.8
0.6
Grand Total ....
1,461
5,951
100.0
100.0
a Data are not available as to the family type of 89 of the 1,550 persons
applying for relief before the fire.
Since the term "families" covers the widest range of varia-
tions in social status, it has seemed wise to make the nine family
classifications given in the above table. It is plain that the seventh
group lacks in value as compared with the classifying of each group
separately according to sex. The incompleteness of the records
made a separation by sex impossible. The most notable difference
in the numbers applying for relief before and after the fire occurs
in the case of widows with children. If to the 1,044 widows with
children — taking the figures of the second period — be added the
258 deserted women and the 30 orphaned families, all supported
by women, 1,332, or 22.3 per cent of all the cases, are shown to be
families dependent upon women as breadwinners. If the 798
288
THE NATURE OF THE CASES
childless^ detached women be added to the 1,332, we have 2,130
women dependents, or 35.7 per cent of those that applied,* which
must be compared with 26.8 per cent for the period before the fire.
The 164 widowers and deserted husbands with children, 2.7 per
cent of all the cases of the later period, is a relatively larger num-
ber of such cases than is usually found in charity records. The
proportion of the group called "illegitimate families" rests upon
facts open to challenge as to exactness or completeness. Though
the presumption is that the number is too small, 65 such cases
for the second period are ail that can be proven by the records.
The fact that the percentage of applications from single men was
less after than before the fire shows that the policy to limit relief
given to this class had a deterrent effect. The 49 dependent
minors applying to the Associated Charities in the two periods
for various reasons were not referred for care to the city's child-
caring agencies.
Of 1,375 married couples who had lived in the burned area
647, or nearly 47 per cent, had a rehabilitation record, while the
majority of all the men applying were without such records. By
actual count over 80 per cent of the single men who made the
first application after June, 1907, had come to San Francisco
within the year after the disaster, lured presumably by the ex-
pectation of work.
The age of the person entered on the statement card as the
main source of support for the family group, has been chosen as
the age basis for Table 100.
In the second period of time 55.6 per cent of all the cases in
which the age was ascertained were over forty years of age. This
proportion falls to 54 per cent when the family cases alone are con-
sidered.
From the records for the first period, it was possible to tabu-
late data relative to the age of the breadwinner for only 661
family groups. In only 175 of these 661 groups, or 26.5 per cent,
was the breadwinner known to be over forty years of age.
*See Devine, Edward T.: Misery and Its Causes, New York, Macmillan,
1909. The percentage of women breadwinners in the 500 cases, New York Charity
Organization Society in the year 1908 is given as 40.8 per cent.
19 289
RELIEF WORK OF ASSOCIATED CHARITIES
1
TABLE lOO. — AGE OF PRINCIPAL BREADWINNER IN FAMILIES
APPLYING FOR RELIEF FROM ASSOCIATED CHARITIES.
JUNE 1, 1907, TO JUNE 1, 1 909 ^
Age of breadwinner
FAMILIES WJTH BREAD-
WINNER OF EACH
SPECIFIED AGE
Number
Per cent
Under 30 years
30 years and under 35 years
35 years and under 40 years
40 years and under 60 years
60 years or over
682
597
647
1,632
646
16.2
14.2
154
38.8
154
Total
4,204
1 00.0
a Data are not available as to the age of the principal breadwinner in 1,747
of the 5,951 families applying for relief after the fire.
TABLE lOI. — AGE OF PRINCIPAL BREADWINNER IN FAMILIES
APPLYING FOR RELIEF FROM ASSOCIATED CHARITIES, BEFORE
FIRE AND AFTER FIRE, BY FAMILY TYPE ^
Families
FAMILIES WITH BREAD-
for which
WINNER 40 YEARS
informa-
OF AGE OR OVER
tion as to
age of
bread-
Family type
Number
Per cent
of all
winner is
available
families
Married couples with children
Before fire
372
83
22.3
After fire . ...
2,012
946
47.0
Married couples without children
Before fire ....
.
84
26
31.0
After fire .
, ,
522
293
56.1
Widows and deserted w^omen with
children
Before fire ....
,
135
44
32.6
After fire .
.
1,302
864
66.4
Widowers and deserted men with (
:hildren
Before fire
,
34
17
50.0
After fire
,
164
no
67.1
Other family types
Before fire
• *
36
5
139
After fire
•
204
65
31.9
Total Before fire
661
175
26.5
After fire ....
•
4,204
1
2,278
54.2
a Data are not available as to age of the principal breadwinner and family
type for 889 of the 1,550 families of persons applying for relief before the fire, and
for 1,747 of the 5,95 1 families applying for relief after the fire.
290
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THE NATURE OF THE CASES
The preponderance of applicants past forty in the second
period is not surprising. Given a prosperous community and care
in dispensing aid in time of disaster it was to be expected that
those approaching middle age would be the ones to apply for and
to receive aid.
It is interesting to note whether the strain due to the condi-
tions following the disaster was felt more by the native or by the
foreign born married groups.
TABLE 102. — AGE OF PRINCIPAL BREADWINNER IN FAMILIES
THAT HAD BEEN BURNED OUT APPLYING FOR RELIEF FROM
ASSOCIATED CHARITIES, BY NATIVITY AND REHABILITATION
RECORD. JUNE I, I907-JUNE I, IQOQ^
Nativity and rehabilitation record
Families
burned out
for which in-
formation as
to age of
breadwinner
is available
FAMILIES BURNED
OUT WITH BREAD-
WINNER 40 YEARS
OF AGE OR OVER
'
Number
Per cent
Native born
With rehabilitation record ....
Without rehabilitation record .
558
473
322
226
57-7
47.8
Total
Foreign born
With rehabilitation record ....
Without rehabilitation record .
1,031
966
1,032
548
666
583
53.2
68.9
56.5
Total
All cases with rehabilitation record
All cases without rehabilitation record
1,998
1,524
1,505
1,249
988
809
62.5
64.8
53.8
Grand total
3,029
1,797
59.3
a Data are not available as to age of the principal breadwinner, nativity,
and rehabilitation record for 967 of the 3,996 burned out families applying for relief
after the fire.
The answer given by the table is that the foreign born family
was older than the native born, whether it had had rehabilitation
aid before applying to the Associated Charities or not. The
facts indicate that the courage and resourcefulness of comparative
291
RELIEF WORK OF ASSOCIATED CHARITIES
youth whether of the foreign or of the native born, tended to make
men under forty wait until all other resources had failed before
appealing for aid.
The number of children shown in Table 103 gives but the
approximate number of living children of the different families.
Though data were fairly complete for children, minor and adult,
living at home, there were probably many instances in which chil-
dren who were married or no longer members of the household,
were not named on the statement card. The count, however, tells
facts sufficiently interesting to a student of dependency to warrant
its inclusion.
TABLE 103. — NUMBER OF CHILDREN IN FAMILIES HAVING CHIL-
DREN APPLYING FOR RELIEF FROM ASSOCIATED CHARITIES,
BEFORE FIRE AND AFTER FIRE
FAMILIES HAVING EACH SPECIFIED
NUMBER OF CHILDREN
Number of children
Number
Per cent
Before
fire
After fire
Before
fire
After fire
One
263
1,204
32.4
327
Two
205
989
253
26.9
Three
150
608
18.5
16.5
Four
85
370
10.5
1 0.0
Five
58
255
7-2
6.9
Six .
26
130
3-2
3-5
Seven
• ^
9
69
I.I
1-9
Eight
9
36
I.I
I.O
Nine or over
6
21
•7
.6
Total .
811
3,682
lOO.O
lOO.O
In the first period only 6 per cent of these families applying
had more than five children; in the second only 7 per cent. Sev-
enty-six per cent of the families in each period had three or a smaller
number of children. Large families evidently played a small
part in the dependency situation. It is true that the cases which
presented serious problems of treatment were often those with a
large number of children, but the actual number of such cases
was small. The high average age of the applicant and the likeli-
292
THE NATURE OF THE CASES
hood, therefore, of his having unrecorded children Hving away from
home must, it is reiterated, be borne in mind.
The appHcants in 75 per cent of the cases of the second period,
mentioned in Table 104, were found to be suffering from two or
more disabilities. The classifications were taken from the case
records.
TABLE 104. — CAUSES OF DISABILITY AMONG APPLICANTS FOR RELIEF
FROM ASSOCIATED CHARITIES, BEFORE FIRE AND AFTER FIRE
CASES IN WHICH THE CHIEF DISABILITY
WAS AS SPECIFIED
Disability
Number
Per cent
Before
fire
After fire
Before
fire
After fire
Death
31
I II
2.0
1.9
Illness ....
493
1,366
31.8
23.0
Old age ....
56
344
3.6
5.8
Accident
94
264
6.1
4-4
Unemployment .
302
1,532
19.5
257
Laziness
26
184
17
3.1
Desertion or divorce
90
151
5.8
2.5
Vicious habits
143
295
9.2
5.0
Other disabilities
315
1,704
20.3
28.6
Total ....
1,550
5,951
1 00.0
1 00.0
The largest single disability for the second period was unem-
ployment. Of those who applied to the office between June,
1907, and June, 1909, 1532, or 25.7 per cent, came for the alleged
reason that they were out of work. The greater percentage of ill-
ness before than after the disaster is also noteworthy. Included in
the other disabilities or handicaps that led to application for re-
lief should be mentioned unsanitary surroundings and overstrain,
the latter a term used to describe a general break-down of nerve
due to the conditions following the disaster. Under the caption
"vicious habits" are included all cases in which drunkenness,
the drug habit, brutality, licentiousness, or professional mendicancy
had played their part in bringing persons to be a charge upon a
charity office. Add to those classed as having vicious habits
293
RELIEF WORK OF ASSOCIATED CHARITIES
those who were recorded as being lazy, as having deserted or
divorced a partner, and 49 of those reported under "other disa-
bihties'' who had been neglectful or had served a penal term,
and we have a total of 679 persons of the second period' who may
be said to have come to make application, or caused others to
apply, by reason of the effects of wrong living. As this count does
not include those whose illnesses resulted from evil practices or
those whose unemployment resulted from disabling vice, it is not
complete. It indicates, however, that dependency after the fire
did not come in an exceptionally large number of cases as a result
of evil living. Before the fire vicious habits were reported as
responsible for 9.2 per cent of all the cases of distress.
4. OCCUPATIONS OF APPLICANTS
In the table that follows all applicants for relief for the second
period are classified by general occupation.
TABLE 105. — APPLICANTS FOR RELIEF FROM ASSOCIATED CHARITIES
CLASSIFIED BY GENERAL OCCUPATIONS, AS REFUGEES WITH AND
WITHOUT REHABILITATION RECORD, AND AS NON-REFUGEES.
JUNE I, 1907, TO JUNE I, 1909
294
> J
■> •
* >
A street, showing close quarters in camp
Washington Square Camp
THE NATURE OF THE CASES
In between 23 and 24 per cent of the cases, the facts of occu-
pation were not stated in the records. A study of the cases re-
maining proves how widely need distributed itself through all
economic classes in the community. The persons enumerated
were engaged in about 200 different callings.
Of the 4,537 persons for whom data concerning occupation
were secured, 32 per cent were employed in the manufacturing
and mechanical industries, 27 per cent were in personal and do-
mestic service, and 21 per cent were in unskilled labor. The
proportion of applicants in trade was 9 per cent and in transporta-
tion between 6 and 7 per cent. Less than 3 per cent of the appli-
cants were in professional service or in miscellaneous occupations
and less than i per cent in public service. Whether considered
as having lived within or without the burned area, no striking
difference appears in the proportion in each group of occupations.
The facts concerning the occupations of the needy show that
the mass of poverty in San Francisco centered, as might be ex-
pected, in the same occupations before the fire as afterwards.
The data for both periods are presented in Table 106.
TABLE 106. — GENERAL OCCUPATIONS OF APPLICANTS FOR RELIEF
FROM ASSOCIATED CHARITIES, BEFORE FIRE AND AFTER FIRE^
APPLICANTS IN EACH SPECIFIED OCCU-
PATIONAL GROUP
Occupational group
Number
Per cent
Before
fire
After fire
Before
fire
After fire
Professional service ....
Public service
Personal and domestic service .
Unskilled labor
Transportation
Trade
Manufacturing and mechanical in
dustries
Miscellaneous occupations
67
13
259
243
85
107
297
36
133
28
1,205
935
297
410
1,440
89
6.1
1.2
23.4
22.0
7.7
9.6
26.8
3-2
2.9
.6
26.6
20.6
6.5
9.0
31.8
2.0
Total
1,107
4,537
1 00.0
1 00.0
^ Data are not available as to the occupations of 443 of the 1,550 persons
applying for relief before the fire, and of 1,414 of the 5,951 persons applying for
relief after the fire.
295
RELIEF WORK OF ASSOCIATED CHARITIES
In the two years before April i8, 1906, as in the two years
following June i, 1907, the largest percentage of persons was
engaged in those vocations which are grouped as mechanical and
manufacturing trades, as unskilled labor, and as personal and
domestic service. The proportion of applicants in these three
groups combined was, however, smaller before the fire, totaling
72.2 per cent before the fire as compared with 79 per cent in the
later period. This is possibly due, in part, to the fact that the
proportion of persons whose occupation was unknown was larger
before the fire than after. The proportion of demand for help
from persons in professional and public service was larger before
the fire than after, for applicants in these occupations constituted
7.3 per cent of the cases in the period from April, 1904, to April,
1906, and only 3.5 per cent of the later cases. The disaster only
slightly affected the proportion of persons in need who were in
transportation employment or in trade. Before the fire 7.7 per
cent of all applicants were in transportation employment and
9.6 per cent in trade, and after the fire 6.5 per cent were in trans-
portation employment and 9 per cent in trade.
No specific data as to income are offered, because after some
brief experimentation a study of income seemed futile. A person
applying for aid may understate his income because he is humanly
open to the temptation of trying to make as good a case for himself
as possible, or may overstate it because he does not take into
account the amount of irregularity to which he as a weekly or
daily wage-earner is subject. In about 3000 of the cases in which
income data were available for study, the potential earning power
could have been in every case safely estimated by the occupations.
The income for the average breadwinners, most of them semi-
skilled, may be said to have approached during the periods stated
the sum of $15 to $20 per week, an amount that represents some-
thing near the minimum earning power of the wage workers in
San Francisco, a class of persons paid more highly than in any
other part of the United States. For instance, among the Ameri-
can families burned out who were given aid, 32 gave their earning
power at $10 to $1 5 per week, 27 at ^15 to ^20, and 21 at ^20 or
over.
It is of course of fundamental importance that the relief
296
THE NATURE OF THE CASES
agent should know the total income of the families or individuals
applying for aid. Only by learning what the income actually or
approximately is can treatment be made to fit actual need. The
record hurriedly written under pressure of work may fail to reveal
the facts used by the investigator in determining treatment.
The record may not, therefore, show the actual sum of knowledge
held and used as the basis for treatment. The record, on the
other hand, may be no more meager than was the investigation
that it records. In the latter case, investigation, as well as treat-
ment, has been in the hands of an agent who has lacked either
time or training, or both, to do work such as is called for by the
present standards of adequate case work.*
Summarizing the facts concerning the character of the cases
and the situation that forced these individuals to seek aid, it
would appear that the cases group themselves into three leading
types.
1 . Dependency because of abnormal conditions.
2. Dependency because disaster had converted semi-
dependency into complete dependency.
3. Dependency because character and circumstance, irre-
spective of abnormal conditions, induced dependency.
It is plain that each group requires a separate treatment
and that in estimating the character and utility of the relief meas-
ures applied, each class will have to be kept in mind. A consci-
entious effort was made to find how many of the applicants be-
longed to both periods of treatment, but the results of the efforts
were so inconclusive that they cannot be given.
* See Part III, p. 173, for method of determining income of persons owning
their own business.
297
II
THE METHODS OF RELIEF EMPLOYED
1. RE-APPLICATIONS
THE preceding chapter makes plain that from June, 1907^
to June, 1909, there was made on charity the largest de-
mand in the history of San Francisco, and it seems safe to
assert that the majority of those who asked aid would never have
done so had they not been suddenly overtaken by the material
losses and physical strain of a great disaster.
This chapter deals with the policies and costs of relief and
the reasons discernible for refusing aid to applicants.
Any account of relief work, to be satisfactory, must include
such a statement of the effect of the relief upon those to whom it
was given as will enable the reader to decide how far it was ap-
propriate and sufficient for the need it aimed to supply, how far
it was given only to those who could or would benefit by its use,
and how far, when refused, it was justifiably withheld. An
attempt was made to note the instances in which the work of the
Associated Charities could be said to have restored a family to
efficiency. Only a case by case re-visit, by Relief Survey investi-
gators, which for the reasons given later it was thought best not
to make, would have determined the point for any great number of
cases.
Table 107 shows the size of the grants and the number of
persons that applied to the Associated Charities after having
been under the care of the Rehabilitation Committee before June,
1907.
The largest proportion of the earlier grants was for furniture,
which were given, in sums of from $75 to ^150, to 905 applicants.
The next largest was for general relief, by which 388 applicants
were aided, in the greatest number of instances because of sickness.
298
METHODS OF RELIEF EMPLOYED
TABLE 107. — SIZE OF GRANTS MADE BY THE REHABILITATION COM-
MITTEE, BEFORE JUNE I, I907, TO APPLICANTS FOR RELIEF
WHO AFTERWARDS APPLIED FOR RELIEF FROM THE ASSOCIATED
CHARITIES
Amount of grant
Under $50
$50 and under ^100
jioo and under $150
$150 and under fcoo
J200 and over
None
Total .
APPLICANTS RECEIVING
GRANTS OF EACH SPECIFIED
AMOUNT
Number
Per cent
82
44
420
22.3
437
23.2
293
15.6
517
27-5
131a
7.0
1,880
lOO.O
a Of the 131 applicants who received no money grant from the Rehabilitation
Committee, 19 received relief other than money.
There is evidence that 1 768* persons aided by one group of
rehabilitation workers reapplied later to another group. f The
question that arises is, Why?t In reading the records of cases,
reapplication cannot be attributed to any one cause. For ex-
ample, a group of about 60 lodging-house keepers, the majority
of whom had been given over $200 with which to establish rooming
houses, had to apply to the Associated Charities for aid in untang-
ling their subsequent business difficulties. In a few instances
the first grant served as a spur to ask for more; in other instances
the amount given was insufficient to accomplish what was intended;
in still other instances, failure of health, inability to secure lodgers,
rise of rentals, the bank flurry, the unemployment crises, each
played a part in inducing a miscarriage in the plan.
2. EMERGENT RELIEF
The relief given by the Associated Charities from June, 1907,
to June, 1909, can be divided from the point of view of material
service rendered into three principal types of aid:
* From the 1,880 noted in the table have been deducted the 1 12 applicants
to whom the aid given was neither in money nor in kind.
t It should be borne in mind that persons who reapplied were in many cases
making their reapplication to the same individuals who had extended treatment in the
first instance, t Part 1 1, p. 127 ff., should be read in connection with this discussion.
299
RELIEF WORK OF ASSOCIATED CHARITIES
1 . Moving camp cottages to permanent locations.
2. Giving aid.
(a) In sums less than $50, or in kind. (Emergency and
temporary relief.)
(b) In the form of care for the destitute sick.
(c) By finding work for the unemployed.
3. Administering pensions and grants.
(a) Grants made by the Rehabilitation Committee
previous to the assumption of work by the As-
sociated Charities.
(b) Grants or pensions made by the Associated Charities
from money donated by the Corporation on ad-
vice of the Rehabilitation Committee.
The first type of aid has been already considered. The
aid given in money, other than large grants and pensions, and
in kind (2, a), is noted in Table 108.
TABLE 108. — EMERGENCY AND TEMPORARY RELIEF GIVEN IN MONEY
OR IN ORDERS BY ASSOCIATED CHARITIES. JUNE I, I907,
TO JUNE I, 1909^
Nature of aid
Number of
grants or
orders
Food
Groceries
Meat
Milk
Vegetables
Emergency and food
Total
Household
Rent and furniture
Sewing machines .
Fuel
Total
Clothing
Lodging
Transportation .
Merchandise
Carfare and incidentals
Grand total
Amount of grants
or orders
3,526
$10,158.44
3*519
5,301-90
2,435
2,877.25
23
32.65
592
2,094.20
10,095
20,464.44
499
6,466,88
52
1,355.00
163
212.35
714
8,034.23
212
1,583.37
447
639.80
27
76.85
718
718.00
1,042
2,438.57
$33,955.26
a Because of the fact that many persons received a number of grants, the
total number of grants as shown in this table necessarily exceeds the number of
persons receiving relief, as given in other tables in this Part.
300
I. The start
S J '
2. Well under way
Removal from the Camp
4. The completed dwelling
Removal from the Camp
r <
METHODS OF RELIEF EMPLOYED
Most of this relief went to persons who would be dependent
on aid in normal times and to the unemployed. The relief for the
hungry was given for the most part in the form of orders, which
varied in amounts from lo cents to $10.44. The two items
"emergency and food" are classed together under "food/' be-
cause they represent temporary aid given to persons whose special
emergent need was food, but who had to have coupled with it other
necessities. The rent and furniture grants varied in amounts from
$1.00 to $75. A small supply of half worn clothing was kept on
hand for distribution. This supply was drawn on in some in-
stances; in others, money or an order was given for the purchase
of new clothing. Materials for clothing, "merchandise,'' were
given in the form of $1.00 orders.
The following table shows actual expenditures for medical
relief made by the Associated Charities in the course of its case
work.
TABLE 109. — EXPENDITURE BY ASSOCIATED CHARITIES FOR CARE
OF SICK, IN ADDITION TO AID FROM RED CROSS FUNDS.
JUNE I, 1907, TO JUNE I, 1909
Nature of aid
Glasses .....
Ambulance ....
Hospital ....
Surgical
Prescriptions at J. 2 5
Prescriptions for larger amounts
Total ....
2,315
Number of
Amount of
grants
grants
79
$22973
6
21.00
9
1 18.14
23
230.22
■847
211.75
i»35i
1,181.38
$1,992.22
In Parts I and II accounts have been given of how the
Department of Relief and Rehabilitation aided the hospitals in
their care of the sick. To the Associated Charities, however, fell
the task of caring for the sick poor in their homes, a task made
doubly heavy because of the scattering of the applicants through-
out the city. In the table of disabilities, in Chapter I,* it has been
shown that although the percentage of sickness among applicants
*See Table 104, p. 293.
301
RELIEF WORK OF ASSOCIATED CHARITIES
was less in the second period than in the first, the number of sicl
persons to be cared for was much greater. As the expense of
caring for the sick in their homes was not made solely chargeable
upon the Relief and Red Cross Funds, physicians and nurses
having given their services freely, specific enumeration of ser-
vices rendered to the sick does not belong to this particular
study.
The Society's employment bureau was during the two-year
period after the fire in charge of a paid agent, who replaced the
volunteers that had been able before the disaster to give but
irregular service. As has been shown in the preceding chapter,
the community was called on to care for an unusually large number
of middle-aged women, widows with children, and aged men.
The employment agent had therefore to deal with the problem
of the more or less untrained, incapable worker, with whom a
regular agency could not or would not grapple.
In looking through the records, applicants were found to
have been of all ages, but except during the unemployment crises
of February and October, 1908, they were predominantly feminine.
In regard to capacity the majority were low-skilled. Among
these were the usual types of persons: the willing and able to work,
pathetically few in number; the willing but inefficient because too
delicate, too refined, or too specialized as to training; and the
willing, the eager for employment, who ought to be protected from
work. In the last class were not only the obviously incapacitated,
but the children under suitable working age and the widowed
mothers.
The good social service work done by the employment agent
in showing women in what way they could best serve the real wel-
fare of their children and in bringing them in touch with the
public and private sources of relief is an interesting and suggestive
story, but it is not one that belongs to this Relief Survey, except
in so far as it shows that the Associated Charities itself was enabled
to do better work for its people after having passed through the
ordeal of the rehabilitation work than before the disaster. The
fine spirit of independence that drove some to persist in seeking
work is illustrated by the following stories.
An Irish widow who had been burned out and who was sufi'er-
302
1
METHODS OF RELIEF EMPLOYED
ing from incipient tuberculosis applied for work. She consented
after much persuasion to go to a home farm near San Jose, where
for the sake of her self-respect she was to do some housework.
After a week or more a letter arrived from the perplexed head of
the house saying that the Irish woman had suddenly and summarily
left with the announcement that she'd ''rather die than be so
lazy." She had left to hire out as a cook in a family which was
quite unaware of her being tubercular.
Another woman accepted aid to carry out an employment
plan which was somewhat opposed to her own. She dropped from
sight, apparently having acquiesced in the office scheme. A year
later she was found at a different address placidly pursuing, with
fair success, the vocation she had been warned not to undertake on
account of probable failure through ill health.
A widow in wretched general health who was burned out,
had received before June, 1907, in addition to the aid of the camp
and bread line, ^i.oo for expressage. She came to ask the As-
sociated Charities in the late spring of 1908, for money to go into
business. Even the staff, whose policy was to make the largest
possible concession to plans made by the applicant, hesitated and
proposed that she do something involving less personal responsi-
bility. She refused, so some generous-hearted members of the
Rehabilitation Committee interceded for her. Two grants were
made therefore, contrary to the judgment of the society's staff,
of $150 and $200 respectively, to be used under Associated Chari-
ties supervision for business purposes. In June, 1909, the woman
was reported to be dying in a hospital; the business enterprise
had failed.
In finding work for applicants a standard rate of wages for
standard work was insisted upon. For all work the quality of
which was below par by reason of the delicate health, relative
inefficiency, or character defect of the applicant, the employer
was left to settle terms with the employe. The greater number
of women were given the only employment of which the average
untrained middle-aged woman is capable; domestic work, ''day's
work," and house cleaning were paid for at prices ranging from
$1.50 per day to $2.00 per day, plain sewing at $1 .60 per day, care
of the sick at $10 per week.
303
RELIEF WORK OF ASSOCIATED CHARITIES
The two periods of unemployment which came in February
and October, 1908, and which came as an indirect result of the
disaster, brought heavy problems.
On February 5, 1908, arrangement was made to give work to
unemployed men. It was decided that work orders should be
granted to those applying, preference being given to men with
families. From February 5 to March 26, 1781 work orders of three
days each were given, a total of 5343 days' work. As there were a
number of repetitions, 1781 work orders represented about 920
men at work during the — approximately — six weeks. The major-
ity of the men were untrained. One hundred and ninety-eight
who had training were classified as follows: Bricklayers and stone
masons, 7; electricians, plumbers, machinists, and engineers,
44; upholsterers, 2; watchmakers, 3; painters, 11; butchers, 5;
cooks and bakers, 13; carpenters, 74; teamsters, 22; clerks and
bookkeepers, 17. About 15 per cent of the 198 were members of
unions. Most of the applicants had large families dependent
upon them. As they were chiefly men newly arrived in San
Francisco who expected to profit by the demand for labor
created by the rebuilding, they were in reality not a fair charge
on the relief funds. Their only relation to the earthquake and
fire was the fact of their having been attracted to the city after
April, 1906, by what proved to be in their case a Will-o'-the-wisp.
The Porto Ricans and the Russians lead in the number of those
who had come to San Francisco after the fire, and these are fol-
lowed in point of numbers by the Mexicans and the Spanish.
As to the kind of work provided, four plumbers, six car-
penters (all union men), and some of the laborers were set to work
on the camp cottages. Seventeen of the carpenters were given
work on the new Associated Charities building then in process of
construction. Other groups were given work by the Corporation
in repairing the almshouse road, in taking apart buildings at Stan-
ley Place, South Park, and Lobos Square, and in loading wagons
with warehouse supplies to be taken to the Relief Home. At
this time and in the similar crisis in October, preference was given
to family men. The payment was made either in money, or in
kind; sometimes in both. Ninety-seven per cent of the men were
paid at the following rate for three days' work: Meat order,
304
METHODS OF RELIEF EMPLOYED
J 1 .00; grocery order from the store room of the Associated Chari-
ties, fe.oo; and cash $.50. In some few cases, to those who were
sent to work on the almshouse road, carfare also was given. As
the Associated Charities purchased all groceries at wholesale, it
was able to give four ' dollars' worth of groceries for the three-
dollar order. Men with large families, if they had no other em-
ployment were allowed five days' work each week instead of
three.
In October, 1908, about one-third of the men given employ-
ment were put to work upon a temporary tuberculosis hospital
which was being built at the Ingleside Track. Four hundred and
forty-two dollars in labor was paid for building four large wards,
a diet kitchen, medicine closets in each one of the wards, and the
bath and toilet rooms. Two-thirds of the men worked either at
the almshouse or at the quarry which was started and run for
several weeks by the Associated Charities. Many of the men,
however, resented being put at quarry work which they considered
belonged to convicts. Their dissatisfaction, the physical inability
of a large number of them to do such heavy labor, and the in-
clemency of the weather, which caused the work to be inter-
mittent, made the experiment one that can not be classed as a
notable success.
To carry on this work for the unemployed the San Francisco
Relief and Red Cross Funds made during February, March, and
October, 1908, three appropriations of $5,000 each. Of this
amount, $14,105.26 was expended in wages or equivalent aid to
unemployed men and their families.
3. PERMANENT RELIEF
The work of relief was carried on with most care in the case
of those applicants to whom money had been given in sums of
over $50, in some instances in one grant, in others, in the form of
pensions. Though numerically of relatively slight importance,
these cases occupied so much of the attention of the force that
they may justly be taken as most representative of policies and
accomplishments. The amounts of the gifts are shown in Table
1 10. The grant was made most often to the family whose depend-
ence was a result of the abnormal times.
20 305
RELIEF WORK OF ASSOCIATED CHARITIES
TABLE no. — GRANTS AND PENSIONS OF $^0 AND OVER GIVEN BY
THE ASSOCIATED CHARITIES*
Amount of grant or pension
Grants or pensions of
each specified amount
J50 and under $100
Jioo and under $150
$150 and under J200
^200 and under ^^250
J250 and under $300
$300 and under $350
$350 and under J400
J400 and over
28
55
47
48
8
II
4
4
Total .
» • • •
205
a Some grants of over $50 have been grouped with the emergency relief
cases.
The disaster case has many variations, but the common mark
is that the appHcant is thrifty, in fairly good health, and capable
of self-support. Adventitious circumstances brought a reduction
or a loss of income. With rare exceptions, when the grant was
sufficient the family became entirely self-supporting. The policy
of the office was to find what had been the former standard of
living, and to aid so that not only would the same standard be
maintained but a higher one if possible attained. The two cases
that follow illustrate how in 18 or more cases a grant of from ^75
to $500 gave the aid needed to make a fresh and successful start.
A peddler of imported linen goods, in poor health, with a
wife also in poor health, and four children under fourteen years of
age, who had been burned out, asked for no aid until 1908. He
believed he could do without help, but when the wife became very
ill the man knew that he must appeal for relief. He was granted
at once $250 to purchase a stock of goods, though his plan for re-
suming his old business was vague. For about three months, as
the family seemed able to care for itself, the case was not held
under treatment. Then the wife died, leaving the man as sole
caretaker of four ill children. The children, three suffering with
typhoid fever and one with tuberculosis of the hip, were sent to a
sanatorium and a grant of ^150 was secured, which was supple-
306
^ 1
> «
>
^'^
j'9
3
' >^'
5 ^ 3
■) :>
1 ^
METHODS OF RELIEF EMPLOYED
mented later by a grant of $300. A large part of these two sums
was spent for hospital treatment, but the remainder was invested
in getting the man to make a fresh start at his old business of selling
imported linens. When the family was revisited in June, 1909,
the man's sister-in-law reported him as making a good living.
Having employed a housekeeper, he was able to keep his children
properly and to give them a suitable education. This expenditure
of $700 lightened burdens brought alone by disaster and illness.
An American widow fifty-nine years of age, with a daughter
of forty stone deaf and in ill health, and the daughter's three chil-
dren under thirteen, had kept a boarding house before the fire in
fairly comfortable quarters in one of the busier districts of San
Francisco. The daughter, separated from her husband, an in-
ebriate and a gambler, was entirely dependent on her mother.
With high courage the fine woman planned to rent and furnish a
hotel in one of the smaller watering places of the state. The
Rehabilitation Committee gave her $400 for the purpose. The
venture failed, so two years later she applied to the Associated
Charities for rehabilitation. She was given $200 with which to
move the furnishings saved from the first venture to a suburban
town, where she now has a successful rooming and boarding house.
She is valiantly carrying her own burdens.
There are some 20 or more cases whose success is dubious,
because the money was used for purposes for which it was not
intended; because the plan to keep a domestic group intact
through the expenditure of a large grant was frustrated; or be-
cause defective character balked the rehabilitation plans. In
most of these cases the investigation failed to unearth character-
istics or resources which, if discovered, would have made a flat
grant unnecessary or undesirable.
Pensions were granted of course for several difl'erent ends.
In a good many instances they were given primarily to tide a
family over the period during which one of the younger members
was being given a good business training so as to be prepared
to undertake the chief support of the group. These so-called
"scholarship" grants had definite and satisfying results. A typi-
cal case will illustrate the method.
307
RELIEF WORK OF ASSOCIATED CHARITIES
A Mexican seamstress of thirty-five and her three orphan
sisters were Hving together at the time of the disaster. One of the
sisters, aged thirty-three, had to be sent afterwards to a hospital
for the insane. A married sister, aged thirty-four, with a child of
three years, was deserted by her husband the day of the earth-
quake, and had to place the child in the Orphans' Home. The
deserted wife assumed charge of the household, and the two young
sisters of fifteen and thirteen who were markedly intelligent were
kept at school. The seamstress was very proud of her young
sisters, so she borrowed $20 from a woman who worked in the same
factory with her in order that she might send the elder to a busi-
ness college. Later when taken ill she found herself in debt and
unable to carry out her plan. She then applied to the Associated
Charities and was given two grants of $75, one for general relief,
the other to keep the girl in the business college. The girl grad-
uated and her knowledge of Spanish and English then enabled her
to get a specially advantageous position. All the sisters are the
better for the grant which raised their social status.
The pension was given most often to persons who, because
of the catastrophe, fell into dependency from which, unaided,
it was impossible for them to extricate themselves. The un-
answered question in connection with these pension cases was:
What sum of money, in San Francisco, constituted an adequate
monthly sum for the support of a needy family? If a semi-
dependent, how much should have been spent before it could
be proven whether the power of self-support was latent or was
lacking? No one knew, as the community's best practice Jur-
nished no guide. The Rehabilitation Committee and the Associ-
ated Charities acted on the general principle of granting such
pensions as they felt they could afford. The Associated Charities
hoped, moreover, that if the sum of ^15 to $25 given as a pension
were not sufficient, the usual neighborhood help would gradually
develop so as to eke out the amount given. The pensions were
most often given in the form of money, but in some cases in weekly
food orders. The following pension case is illustrative:
A Greek aged thirty-five deserted his wife and five children
under thirteen years of age at the time of the fire. Before the
308
METHODS OF RELIEF EMPLOYED
disaster the family was known to the Associated Charities as one
in which the man was not meeting his responsibiHties. The oldest
child, a boy, was a decent, serious little chap; the second, also a
boy, was so wild that he had later to be sent to a reformatory;
and the three youngest were sickly, weak-eyed little creatures.
When the woman made application immediately after the disaster
she was given $75 for clothing. She was lost in the big body of
refugees, but when found again in the fall of 1908, though pitifully
destitute, was making a brave effort to support her children. The
eldest boy was given a position as office boy at the Associated
Charities at $4.00 a month, a baby from the children's agency was
put to board in the home at the rate of $1 1 a month, and $1 50 was
appropriated, to be given in monthly sums of ^20. With this
monthly income of $35, $10 of which went for rent, she was en-
abled, having judgment in expenditure, to get along.
As is brought out in Part VI, an unusual number of old
people had been thrown on the community for care. To some of
these, who were invalids, pensions were given so that they need
not go to the Relief Home.
In the two-year period covered by this study, from June i,
1907, to June I, 1909, the total receipts of the San Francisco As-
sociated Charities amounted to $252,046.75.* As has been stated
above,t this money was contributed almost exclusively by the
Corporation and the Board of Trustees of Relief and Red Cross
Funds. The Associated Charities disbursed, in the period dealt
with, $236,303.72,$ of which sum $180,577.78, or 76.4 per cent, was
expended directly on relief work, and $55,725.94 was expended on
salaries and other administrative expenses.! The expenditure for
salaries amounted to $41,560.21 for the period, — a monthly average
of $1,351.80 for the last seven months of 1907, of $2,023. 19 for the
year 1908, and of $1,563.86 for the first five months of 1909.
*A statement of the receipts of the Associated Charities from June, 1907,
to September, 19 12, inclusive, is given in Appendix I, p. 419.
t See Part V, p. 283.
I The sum of $31,224.1 1 expended through the Associated Charities for the
payment of what were known as the "Red Cross Pensions" is not included in this total.
§ A statement of the disbursements of the Associated Charities from June,
1907, to September, 19 12, inclusive, is given in Appendix I, pp. 419-421.
309
RELIEF WORK OF ASSOCIATED CHARITIES
Data are not available for a complete classification of dis-
bursements according to the nature of the relief afforded. It
is impossible to state separately the expenditure for the purposes
termed in this Part "emergency and temporary relief" and "aid
given the unemployed/'
it appears from data available that there was a total expen-
diture by the Associated Charities for housing, from June i, 1907,
to June I, 1909, of $59,556.06.*
4. RELIEF REFUSED
The policy behind a refusal to aid measures the quality of
relief as well as the policy which shapes giving. The cases to
which material aid was refused have therefore been segregated and
an attempt is here made to state what the records show concerning
the basis and utility of such refusal. It will be remembered that
595 1 cases applied for relief and that 1 704 of these were refused aid.
The following table gives the number refused who had or who had
not lived in the burned area and the number who had not made
application for rehabilitation aid before June, 1907.
TABLE I I I. — APPLICANTS FOR AID FROM THE ASSOCIATED CHARITIES
TO WHOM AID WAS REFUSED, CLASSIFIED AS HAVING LIVED
OR NOT HAVING LIVED IN THE BURNED AREA.
JUNE I, 1907, TO JUNE I, 1909^
APPLICANTS REFUSED AID
Classes of applicants
Number
Per cent
Applicants who had lived in burned area
With rehabilitation record
Without rehabilitation record ....
571
604
35-4
37-4
Total
Applicants who had not lived in burned area .
1,175
439
72.8
27.2
Grand Total
1,614
100.0
a Data are not available as to the former place of residence of 90 of the 1,704
refused aid.
* Compare with figures presented in Part I, p. 86. While the amount given
above covers all housing relief granted by the Associated Charities for the period from
June I, 1907, to June i, 1909, the $55,963.50 mentioned in Part I relates to expen-
ditures for moving or repairing cottages during the entire period of the relief work.
310
RELIEF REFUSED
It must be borne in mind that the total number of applica-
tions made to the Associated Charities on the part of applicants
who had been burned out was, i ,880 by those who had had a re-
habilitation record before June, 1907, and 2,1 16 by those who had
had no such record. The percentage of refusals is seen to be, there-
fore, very nearly the same, — about 30 per cent of refusals for the
first class, 29 per cent for the second.
Although many of these applicants had rations until, and
shelter perhaps for months after they had secured work, to refuse
further aid to 1,175 applicants burned out, or 29 per cent of those
who made application from June, 1907, to June, 1909, called for
an exercise of courage and a holding firm to the well-defined
principles of the relief administrators.
The following criticisms are typical of those that had to be
answered :
A woman prominent in labor circles, speaking of a rejected
case, said to one of the managers of the Associated Charities and
voiced a rather widespread sentiment: '* I can't see the justice
of this picking and choosing. My friend was burned out and was
just as good as some of those who received help — and there was
plenty of money! Who was it for, if not for the refugees?"
Another in writing to the office said: "Mrs. X is old and ought
not to have to work any more. Surely some of that relief money
can be found for her.'' The bitterness of the refugees themselves
made, however, the loudest plaint in the chorus of discontent.
Two classes then, in one or other of which many San Fran-
ciscans are today, quarreled with this policy of investigating the
claims of the refugees; on the one hand, those who held theoret-
ically that all who had felt the blow should, if they asked, receive
help; on the other, those who held concretely that they themselves,
having been losers, had a "right'' to a portion of the relief fund.
The natural desire to give generously to the limits of one's
capacity, especially to those whom disaster has robbed of com-
petence, is what constructive charity work always has to face from
those who "cease not to give without any regard." As years make
it possible to view without prejudice the aim and result of the more
cautious, less emotional policy pursued, it seems demonstrable
that time will vindicate the much criticized deliberation of the
311
RELIEF WORK OF ASSOCIATED CHARITIES
Rehabilitation Committee and the Associated Charities. As
has been considered in Part I, the extent of need and of the sum
to meet it were both unknown, and what was foreseen happened, —
that a portion of the fund was needed to be held in reserve for
those who at first courageously refrained from asking help, but
who as the strain proved too great necessarily appealed. The
dual risk of giving to the sham refugee and of carrying the man
who could help himself and who was inclined to lean on relief
could only be avoided by careful investigation and treatment,
even though both raged at the refusals of an ''unjust'' committee.
The final argument is that no relief should be so generous as to dry
up the normal sources of aid in a community. That aid is wisest
which rouses all the neighborhood and civic sources of help into
effective action.
It is undeniable that the records show a certain number of
persons to have been refused aid who seemed as entitled to help
as some who by influence or persistence got at least a minimum.
" Influence" is used with no invidious intention. In San Francisco
as in every other community a certain number of wholly disinter-
ested persons bear an enormous share of the burden of the charity
work. When these asked aid for a case and gave their word that
it was deserved, it was difficult, often impossible, to deny the aid.
The Associated Charities did give help in a good many instances
where in its own judgment aid could have been refused and the
cases left for reconstruction to neighborship and individual
capacities. Table 1 12 shows the causes for refusal to aid.
The first three reasons for refusal and the ninth and tenth
could be brought under the heading ''thirst for relief money,'' and
make the total for the type, 516, or 30.3 per cent of the refusals.
The attitude of mind was expressed collectively by the naive
Italian woman who said frankly that she "thought they could
get something nice," and by the Irish woman who said with equal
naivete "they could get something for the asking." The 77
applicants who asked for money for purposes of relief no longer
being granted, asked aid too late for the building of a cottage or
for the moving of a house or for furniture. Twenty-seven of
these had not been burned out, and about two-fifths of the re-
maining 50 had had rehabilitation before June, 1907.
312
RELIEF REFUSED
TABLE 112. — REASONS FOR NOT GIVING AID FROM ASSOCIATED
CHARITIES TO APPLICANTS •
APPLICANTS WHO
HAD LIVED IN
BURNED AREA
Applicants
who had
not lived
in burned
Applicants
whose
Reason for not giving aid
With
rehabil-
Without
rehabil-
former
place of
residence
Total
itation
itation
area
is doubtful
*
record
record
Applicant merely seeking
more relief money
54
36
21
3
114
Applicant has already had as
much money as is justified
29
4
I
• •
34
Applicant able to get along
without help
143
149
61
15
368
Applicant has relatives who
can help or have helped .
27
54
30
2
113
Money no longer given for
use desired ....
19
31
25
2
77
Applicant would not accept
aid offered ....
24
27
1 1
3
65
Applicant's plan unpjacticable
J9
14
26
I
60
Applicant withdrew applica-
tion . . . .
25
30
43
5
103
Case reported without knowl-
edge of applicant
10
3
13
8
34
Pauperization feared
7
3
3
• •
13
Applicant a professional beg-
gar
31
14
1 1
2
58
Applicant lazy ....
4
12
4
• •
20
Applicant vicious .
5
1 1
8
I
25
Applicant a drunkard .
34
17
4
3
58
Applicant unthrifty
3
1 1
4
. .
18
Applicant could not be found
13
40
36
14
103
Aid received from other
sources or case referred to
other societies
53
68
73
19
213
Disposal of application not
known
71
80
65
12
228
Total ....
571
604
439
90
i>704
In reading some of the cases of families burned out who had
no rehabilitation record in the group of 368 ''able to get along
without aid/' the question often mooted was, " If these were not
given, why were others ?'' This may be a feeling, not a judgment.
It is probable that the records, though relatively complete, do
not tell enough to permit a fair judgment, but it is one of the
313
i
RELIEF WORK OF ASSOCIATED CHARITIES
regrets of the analyst of these cases that in justice to the diffi-
culties of the current work they could not be re-visited. The
protest of the office was that re-visits would stir a whole neighbor-
hood to descend upon it again in hope that there was a little more
money to be distributed, — a protest voiced concretely by one
visitor, who said, " We can scarcely be seen to pass along the street
in a given neighborhood without receiving calls a few days later
from people eager to know if there is any more relief money to
give away." The objection, based as it was on a recognition of
human frailty, had to be respected. Other objections given to a
re-visit were that some persons would be found to be so dis-
gruntled that a fair statement could not be got from them; that
others were too stupid to understand the questions or too in-
different to care to answer them. An attempt to re-investigate
any of these groups would fairly seem to have been a waste of
effort and money.
The small number, 13, refused on the ground of fear of
pauperization may raise a smile, but the heading is a reflex of the
dread in the minds of some of the visitors. "This is a very decent
family who have never had aid," writes one of the visitors, "and
I do not think it well to begin for fear of pauperizing them."
It is noteworthy that of the 58 refused as "professional beggars,"
45 had lived in the burned area and of these 3 1 had rehabilita-
tion records; that of the 58 refused on account of alcoholic habits,
5 1 had lived in the burned area, 34 of whom had a rehabilitation
record. Whether these refugees had acquired the habits of
begging and of drinking after the earthquake experience is not
shown by the records. The individuals in these last two groups,
many of whom were members of families, needed much more than
they asked for, but the thorough investigation and constructive
treatment they should have received could not be meted out to
them at a time when material assistance was the overwhelming
issue.
5. CONCLUSIONS
Positive questions have been asked; they have received but
few definite answers. It is easy to question, but hard to answer
positively, when past efforts are but meagerly recorded, and present
efforts are too fresh for an accurate measure to be taken of their
314
RELIEF REFUSED
results. It is a simple task theoretically to define a line of inquiry;
it is a complex one to separate human beings into classes and
to determine just what circumstances of character and condition
forced each into his appropriate place.
The notable facts for the inquirer as to the effect of the dis-
aster upon the dependency situation are these: There were a
little over three and one-half times as many applicants for aid at
the Associated Charities during the two years from June, 1907,
to June, 1909, as in those from April 18, 1904, to April 18, 1906.
It is not as plain as could be wished how many of the 3996
applicants to the Associated Charities who had lived in the burned
area were charges on public or private charity before the fire,
or would have become so in any case. The point seems hardly
demonstrable.
What is plain beyond question is that the disaster brought
for the two years a burden of dependency of over three times the
ante-disaster proportions. What is not so plain is how far the
relief funds swelled these proportions.
As to results, the records prove some definitely successful
instances of aid given. Health restored; financial independence
regained by the capable, temporarily dependent; and relatives or
friends found to support dependent adults and minors, are achieve-
ments cheeringly demonstrable in 25 per cent of the cases.
A relief fund whose amount was fairly adequate to meet
the need has had one patent result. A number of persons tottering
toward dependency by reason of the failing health of a bread-
winner, of a wife, or of children, who in ordinary times would not
have been helped in San Francisco, at the right moment received
the inspiration of friendly visitors and the instruction of trained
nurses. The intellectual and physical care added to the material
combined to stay deterioration, and in some instances to raise
standards.
The more insistent call of the children for protection because
of the demoralizing efi^ects of the camp life brought response from
the Associated Charities, which through its children's agency found
for each defenseless child a protecting friend, a foster home, or
when nothing else was available or suitable, an appropriate insti-
tution.
315
RELIEF WORK OF ASSOCIATED CHARITIES
For the remainder of the cases, results He less within the range
of demonstration. This much is certain; there was neither im-
pulsive nor indiscriminate giving. Though the amount that was
spent, inclusive of administration expenses, totals for the period
from June i, 1907, to June i, 1909, a sum of $236,303.72, yet the
first feeling on reading the history of the treatment of the average
case was rebellion that in so many instances such niggardly doles
had been given. When, as was of course true of adult dependence,
the aim was restoration of financial independence, the means
granted often seemed insufficient to warrant any hope of success.
After this feeling has been for six months tried in the crucible of a
careful investigation of the facts of cost of living* and habits of
spending among persons of low income, it still seems not without
foundation.
One result of the disaster and of the use of the relief funds
is the notably increased efficiency in relief work in San Francisco.
Out of the widespread experience born of and bred by facing a large
and varied round of relief problems, comes the first gain. While
it is incorrect to say that San Francisco had no poverty in the days
before the fire, it is true that the mass of those seeking aid were
dependents because of unemployment and ill health, both due in
many cases to ignorance or to vicious practices. The problem
of destitution involved in the care of this type of cases does not
stimulate a worker to any such broad and aggressive social policies
as those which he must meet when handling the cases of capable
and nearly self-directing people whom circumstances alone, loss
of occupation, insanitary conditions, new situations, force to seek
aid and guidance. Add to this fact of greater experience, that
the relief funds enabled the work to be carried by a staflf of
visitors more nearly adequate than before the fire to meet the de-
mand for investigation and treatment. Add the further fact that
there had been enough not only to pay for relatively efficient office
service but to give aid of a kind approximately sufficient. In a
summary of these three gains will be found in part the value to the
Associated Charities of San Francisco and to the people it serves
*A study made of the family budgets of 49 cases under care of the Asso-
ciated Charities from June, 1907, to June, 1909, could not, owing to lack of space
be included in this Relief Survey.
316
^
THE ASSOCIATED CHARITIES SINCE THE FIRE
of having been selected as the final agent of the San Francisco
Relief and Red Cross Funds will in part be clear.
6. THE ASSOCIATED CHARITIES SINCE THE FIRE
When the Associated Charities set up its own office in June,
1907, the allowance of money made to it from the relief fund en-
abled the society to form a staff of from 12 to 15 experienced work-
ers; to institute a division of labor among the office force which
had never before been possible; to announce the formation of a
new department, namely, a civic relief bureau; and to under-
take to deal in a thorough-going way with all cases handled by this
bureau, obtaining employment for applicants when necessary,
and giving whatever relief might be called for by the exigencies
of the case.
The co-operation of the Associated Charities with all the
other philanthropic agencies of the city has been made much
closer by the fire. In working together shoulder to shoulder under
the Relief Corporation, the philanthropic agencies of the city be-
came well acquainted with one another and the way was paved for
important working agreements.
One such working arrangement is that by which various
children's institutions make use of the placing-out department
of its children's agency. During the years 1 907-1 909, 212 chil-
dren were taken from orphanages and placed in family homes.
Curiously enough, only four of these were children of refugees.
The work of the placing-out department in 1909 was double what
it had been before the fire.
The children's agency has another department which de-
mands mention here, because as a result of the disaster its work has
also been doubled. This is the boarding-out department. Its
expansion is due to two causes. On the one hand, children's
institutions could accept fewer children, having been cut down in
capacity by their material losses; and on the other, there had been
an actual increase in the number of foundlings, illegitimate infants,
and children requiring protection. The records of the juvenile
court for 1907- 1909 show that 29 per cent of dependency cases
came from residents of public camps. The boarding-out depart-
ment of the Associated Charities had some of these to provide for.
317
RELIEF WORK OF ASSOCIATED CHARITIES
Among the candidates for public care were the children of ten in-
sane mothers and the infants of ten unmarried mothers whose
plight was thought to be directly traceable to the situation after
the fire.
318
V
PART VI
THE RESIDUUM OF RELIEF
THE AGED, THE INFIRM, AND THE HANDICAPPED
Part VI
THE RESIDUUM OF RELIEF: THE AGED, THE IN-
FIRM, AND THE HANDICAPPED
PAGE
I. Ingleside Model Camp 321
1. History of Its Establishment 321
2. Administration 324
3. General Statistics 327
II. Relief AND Non-Relief Cases 335
1. General Analysis 335
2. Applicants and Non-applicants for Relief and Re-
habilitation 336
III. Results 356
INGLESIDE MODEL CAMP
1. HISTORY OF ITS ESTABLISHMENT
OWING to the general confusion in the city, the emer-
gency character of the reHef , and the constant shifting and
changing of the homeless population immediately after
the earthquake and fire, the first grouping of the refugee camps
was entirely accidental. No classification by age, condition, or
special need was possible. But among the first naturally to be
differentiated were the aged and the infirm, who must be cared
for until friends or relatives could assume their support. If
they proved ultimately to be friendless as well as homeless and
incapable of self-support, provision would have to be made for per-
manent care. As early as June these classes were sent to Camp
6,* the Speedway, and plans for sheltering those who would re-
quire public relief during the ensuing winter were discussed. By
the end of July their housing became a pressing problem.
In 1906 the city and county of San Francisco had an alms-
house accommodating about 900 persons, situated on a fine tract
of land about one mile southeast of Golden Gate Park. Some of
its buildings were very old and insanitary, the standard of care
was low, and it was full to overflowing. After mature considera-
tion the Corporation finally determined to build a Relief Home
on this tract and to present it to the city as a permanent provi-
sion for aged dependents; but since it seemed probable that the
new building could not be finished before the summer of 1907!
it became necessary to provide at once temporary barracks for the
shelter of the aged and infirm.
* For description of the official camps, see Part I, p. 78 ff.
t The building of the Relief Home was authorized September 18, 1906,
but on account of shortage of lumber and delay due to abnormal labor conditions
it was not ready for occupancy until January, 1908.
21 321
I
THE RESIDUUM OF RELIEF ||
At that time the cost of lumber, transportation, and labor
was excessive, and there was the added difficulty of quickly
finding a suitable location. The generous offer of Thomas H.
Williams, president of the California Jockey Club, to give free use
of the race track buildings, relieved the pressure on the Corpora-
tion to make provision for the winter. At Ingleside race track
there were 26 stables, each 40 x 160 to 220 feet, containing from
20 to 40 box stalls apiece. The buildings were already piped
for water, partially sewered, easily accessible by street car,
and in such condition that they could be made ready for occu-
pancy in a short time and at a relatively small cost.
The offer was at once accepted, and the Department of
Lands and Buildings was authorized to make the necessary altera-
tions. The stalls were thoroughly renovated to serve as single
rooms for inmates. They were cleaned and disinfected, windows
were put in, the floors were covered with canvas and the walls with
building paper. The hay lofts were converted into dormitories.
The buildings were connected with the main sewer to the ocean
and each was equipped with toilets, baths, hot and cold water,
and a large heating stove. The section to, be used as a kitchen
was furnished with four large army ranges, and the dining room
with a number of long tables and benches, and with enamel-
w^are dishes. Simple furniture for each room and for the dormi-
tories, a butcher shop, and storage warehouse, completed the pre-
parations for those who were fairly able-bodied. For the sick a
hospital section with a separate kitchen was established, to be
used in addition to the annex of St. Luke's Hospital already on
the grounds. Finally, one section was set aside as a social and
reading room, and another for religious services.
While these preparations were under way, a great diversity
of opinion existed as to how many aged and infirm and handi-
capped refugees would finally remain to be cared for at
Ingleside. The population of Camp 6, where the decrepit and
semi-able-bodied refugees were concentrated, had been at the be-
ginning of July 756 persons, and was over 800 when Ingleside Camp
was ready early in October. It was expected to have added to this
latter number a few persons from each of the other camps as these
were abandoned, and to subtract a few who did not belong in the
322
',*■
' 1
• «
> » J
f
*, «
<
u
u
Q
O
Q
00
O
INGLESIDE MODEL CAMP
special classes for which Ingleside was intended. September 5,
Rudolph Spreckels, chairman of the Department of Camps and
Warehouses, estimated the final number at 500, because whenever
the food kitchens had been closed only a few persons had applied
to be admitted to Camp 6.* Seats for about 700 were provided
in the dining room at Ingleside.
In the autumn, as fast as the cottagesf were completed,
the tents were abandoned and the families removed to the cot-
tages. Those not capable of self-support or who had no relatives
to care for them were assigned to Camp 6, to be sent to Ingle-
side when it should be ready. Some of this residue refused to
go to Camp 6, and managed to find friends or work at the last
moment, J so that when the inmates of Camp 6 were finally re-
moved to Ingleside between October 8 and October 29, there
remained to enter only 400 from Camp 6, and 84 from all the other
camps, — a total of less than 500. The subsequent condemnation
of the old City and County Hospital followed by the accidental
burning of one of the almshouse buildings in the spring of 1908
made it necessary to send some inmates of both these institutions
in March, 1908, to Ingleside Camp, which had been closed follow-
ing the transfer of the aged and infirm in January to the Relief
Home. One hundred and thirty-one almshouse inmates were
about to be moved to Ingleside in the latter part of October, 1907,
when the politicians discovered that this would deprive the alms-
house men of their residence and invalidate their vote in the
impending election. Some of the newspapers spoke of it as ''a
political job to deprive registered voters of the suff^rage which had
been enjoyed for years'' and the transfer was finally postponed till
after election. These 131 almshouse inmates are not included
in the detailed statistics which follow.
At no time was the number of inmates higher than 809.
Altogether i ,287 names were registered on the index book dur-
ing the fifteen months of its existence. This discrepancy of
approximately 500 between the highest number and the total
* San Francisco Chronicle, Sept. 6, 1906. f See Part I, pp. 82 and 85 ff.
t See preceding reference, also, for part taken by Associated Charities in
reducing number of the residue chargeable on the new institution.
323
THE RESIDUUM OF RELIEF
population of Ingleside represents the movement of the more able-
bodied and least permanent residents of the camp. In the detailed
Study of cases it will appear that a certain number of adults were
sent to Ingleside who did not properly belong there or whose re-
habilitation had been postponed by the withholding of the relief
funds. Besides these, a few refugees waiting to hear from friends
were admitted for a short period; and a few transient men and
women stayed for less than a month, leaving in many cases no
record except a name. In short, out of the total of 1,287 persons
at Ingleside during 1906 and 1907, not more than half belonged to
the aged, infirm, and handicapped classes for which permanent
provision would have to be made.
V
2. ADMINISTRATION
Ingleside Model Camp was organized October 8, 1906, by
Captain Julius N. Kilian,* of the United States Army. On January
I, 1907, the command was transferred to C. M. Wollenbergf who
had been up to that time chief clerk in the Department of Camps
and Warehouses.
Besides being old, infirm, or incapacitated to some degree,
the classes assembled at Ingleside were inevitably the most dis-
contented of all the refugees. During the months of Captain
Kilian's administration certain conditions prevailed that made his
task exceptionally difficult. All the inmates had been torn from
their habitual grooves of life and had suffered shock and consider-
able hardship; many had feebly but vainly tried to get back into
old niches and could not adapt themselves to new ones. Some
had applied for rehabilitation only to be gently told that they were
too old to begin again or that their plans were impracticable;
others had found their friends and relatives to be neglectful; still
others, the last precipitate of the social confusion, were a semi-
vicious, irresponsible, and idle lot who were at Ingleside only
because they could not find food and shelter in their old disrepu-
table haunts. All, regardless of capacity or need, were convinced
* Captain Kilian had been in charge of the Moulder School Warehouse.
See Part I, p. 37.
t Mr. Wollenberg continued in charge during the consolidation of Ingleside
with the almshouse and, having qualified under the civil service law in July, 1908,
became the permanent superintendent of the Relief Home.
324
ADMINISTRATION OF INGLESIDE CAMP
that they were being deprived of their "just and equal share''
of the milHons contributed by a philanthropic public.
Among this heterogeneous company, many of whom had
fallen into vulgar and disorderly, if not vicious, habits during six
months of irresponsible camp life, it was Captain Kilian's task to
establish good feeling, health, and discipline. The restoration of
order began with the enforcement of cleanliness and decency.
When the inmates grabbed their food from the dishes on the table
they were summarily relegated to what became known as the " hog
table''; when they fought among themselves, or railed at the em-
ployes, or returned drunk from a visit to friends outside, they were
warned; if the offense was repeated, they were ejected from camp.
During the first three months 30 were ejected, and in the following
year from five to 10 persons a month were sent away. Of the total
of 70 persons sent away from the camp the majority (30 men and
10 women) were ejected for drunkenness; the remainder for steal-
ing, vulgar conduct, and insubordination. It was found necessary
to discipline and finally to discharge for intoxication a considerable
number of employes as well as refugees. The strict insistence
upon sobriety meant a better grade of helpers for the camp.
The restlessness of the inmates and the accessibility of Ingle-
side to five saloons at the gate and to the street cars made a rather
strict regulation of admission and discharge necessary. When
inmates overstayed their passes they were required to show cause
on their return, and were sometimes refused re-admission. As a
consequence, some ran away and others who went out on passes
never returned. A curious result of the confusion after the fire
is revealed by the easy movement of persons from the old alms-
house to Ingleside. It appears that 59 of the 1,287 inmates of
Ingleside had been in the almshouse at some time before the fire;
and that 1 14 inmates ran away from the almshouse or were dis-
charged at their own request between April, 1906, and January,
1907. Those familiar with the conditions of both institutions be-
lieve that between 100 and 200 persons left the almshouse and went
to refugee camps to pose as earthquake sufi'erers, to return ulti-
mately to the almshouse either directly or through Ingleside.*
* The almshouse records of this period do not show accurately the movement
of the inmates. It is probable that a much larger number left than they indicate.
THE RESIDUUM OF RELIEF
When Captain Kilian was recalled to regular military duty
in January, 1907, he left a camp of about 660 refugees comfortably
housed, well fed, and under excellent discipline. He had not, how-
ever, undertaken to solve one of the most important problems,
the employment of inmates within the camp. During the military
period, paid employes performed the greater part of the labor
necessary to the maintenance of the camp. Mr. Wollenberg on
taking charge required, as he had a smaller staff of employes, a
definite amount of labor, varying according to the physical condi-
tion of each inmate. This policy served both as a disciplinary
measure and as a means of natural selection. The comparatively
ablebodied were ejected from camp if they refused to work, so
that the population gradually sifted down to the aged, the infirm,
and the incapacitated who had no relatives to care for them. Be-
sides the routine duties necessary to keep the camp in sanitary
condition, other work was provided. Twelve acres of ground were
planted in potatoes, cabbages, and turnips at a cost of about $100.
The yield was over $600 worth of vegetables. A dairy was estab-
lished to provide the camp with milk; furniture was made by the
men for the new Relief Home, to be opened in January, 1908.
Tailoring and carpentry shops and a shoe repairing shop afforded
work at a fair wage. A sewing department was organized by
Lucile Eaves,* with an equipment of 20 sewing machines and
materials in bulk from the relief supplies. Every woman who
could sew was expected to be in the sewing room twice a week, and
during fifteen months over 6,000 garments and 754 curtains for the
Home were made and distributed. The Woman's Alliance pro-
vided social recreation at least once a week, as well as books and
magazines.
In spite of the shock of fire and earthquake, and in spite of
the discomforts of camp life in the preceding summer, the health
of the inmates of Ingleside Model Camp was exceptionally good.
This was no doubt due to the regularity of life, the good food, the
strict enforcement of sanitary regulations, and the prompt medical
attention. The camp hospital, which contained an average of 30
patients during the first few months, was enlarged in July, 1907,
to make room for its quota, 35, of the City and County Hospital
* See Part I, p. 88.
326
STATISTICS FROM INGLESIDE RECORDS
patients, and thereafter averaged 77 patients. During thirteen
months only 49 deaths occurred at Ingleside, and most of these
were due to old age. There were, however, 24 deaths in hospitals
to which patients were sent from Ingleside. This rather small
number does not fully represent the proportion of deaths to the
number of inmates, as the personnel of the camp was constantly
changing. Of the 1,287 inmates of Ingleside 164 were known to be
dead three years after the fire.
For the accommodation of its almshouse charges at Ingleside
the city agreed to pay 30 cents a day per inmate, at the time that
it was costing 38.6 cents a day to maintain an inmate in the alms-
house. The average cost a day per inmate at Ingleside during
1907 was 50 cents. The total cost of Ingleside Model Camp for
approximately fifteen months was:
Construction $36,230.59
Operation and maintenance .... $173,573.19
Care of almshouse inmates .... $21,447.04
3. GENERAL STATISTICS
The Ingleside records which constitute the basis of the tables
that follow were merely admission cards made out by the com-
manders of camps. They give information with regard to sex, age,
marital condition, nativity, occupation, address on April 17, 1906,
and the name and address of a relative or friend who should be
notified in case of death. The cards were obviously not intended
for sociological purposes. They often do not give some of these
simple facts, and are not uniform in statement; but they have been
supplemented by information taken from the records of an in-
vestigator at Camp 6, and from the cases on file in the Associated
Charities and the Rehabilitation Committee offices. The records
have been further amplified through interviews with a number of
employes who were for a long time at Ingleside, and are most of
them now employed at the Relief Home. The greatest care has
been taken not to draw unwarrantable conclusions from incomplete
and uncertain data.
Aside from placing on record a brief history of Ingleside
Model Camp, the main purpose of this study has been: first, to
find what proportion of the inmates of Ingleside had been self-
327
THE RESIDUUM OF RELIEF
supporting before the fire of 1906 and what proportion were at
that time potential almshouse inmates; second, to examine
critically the treatment of those aged and infirm persons who
awaited at Ingleside the outcome of their applications for rehabil-
itation ; and third, to determine whether any number of those now
dependent upon public relief could have been saved from that fate.
Tables 113 and 114 show concisely the conjugal condition
of the Ingleside population and the extent to which the inmates
diflfered in this respect from the aged, infirm, and incapacitated
population in the San Francisco almshouse during the thirty-five
years preceding 1 906, and from the general population of California.
TABLE 113. — INMATES OF INGLESIDE MODEL CAMP BY CONJUGAL
CONDITION AND SEX^
PERSONS
WHOSE CONJUGAL CONDITION
WAS AS SPECIFIED
Conjugal condition
Males
Females
Total
Number
Per cent
Number
Per cent
Number
Per cent
Single ....
Married
Widowed
Divorced, separated or
deserted .
Unknown
385
77
166
13
81
53-3
10.7
23.0
1.8
1 1.2
90
67
218
44
20.7
15-4
50.3
3-5
10. 1
475
144
384
28
125
41. 1
12.5
33.2
2.4
10.8
Total
722
1 00.0
434
1 00.0
1,156b
lOO.O
a These figures relating to conjugal condition were taken from the rough ad-
mission statements of persons admitted to Ingleside and do not exactly correspond
with the figures presented in Tables 1 1 9 and 1 20, which were taken from the files of the
Relief Committee and the Associated Charities. The latter probably correspond
more nearly to the facts.
hThe 131 inmates who were transferred to Ingleside from the almshouse, as
has been stated, are not included in this study.
The preponderance of men is characteristic of all refuges
for the aged and infirm, partly because old women can earn a bare
living by petty domestic services long after the age at which old
men can maintain themselves at hard labor; partly because rela-
tives, however poor, are more loath to allov/ an aged woman than
an aged man to become dependent on public charity. As regards
family ties, the table shows further the isolated condition of this
328
STATISTICS FROM INGLESIDE RECORDS
group. Two-fifths of them may be assumed to have had no Hving
children; the remainder had had six months to rejoin their chil-
dren but had failed to do so.
The conjugal condition of the Ingleside population is com-
pared in the following table with that of the inmates of the
almshouses of the United States in 1903-04, as well as with the
general population of the state in 1900.
TABLE 114. — CONJUGAL CONDITION OF INMATES OF INGLESIDE
MODEL CAMP, COMPARED WITH CONJUGAL CONDITION OF IN-
MATES OF ALL ALMSHOUSES OF THE UNITED STATES IN I903-4
AND OF THE GENERAL POPULATION OF CALIFORNIA 1 5 YEARS
OF AGE AND OVER, IN I9OO
Inmates of Ingle-
side Model Camp
Inmates of all
almshouses of the
United States
1 903-4 a
General popula-
tion of California,
1 5 years of age
and over, 1900
Number considered
1.15^
16^,176
I,Og^,222
Per cent:
Single ....
Married
Widowed
Divorced, separated or
deserted .
Unknown .
41. 1
12.5
33.2
2.4
10.8
52.1
16.0
27.8
1-3
2.8
41.2
49-3
8.1
.8
.6
Total
100. 0
lOO.O
1 00.0
^The figures given relate to paupers in almshouses December 31, 1903, and
to paupers admitted during the year 1904.
The percentage of single persons at Ingleside was about
one-fifth less than in the almshouses of the country at large.
This diff'erence is due probably to the fact that the Ingleside Camp
did not admit children.* Under no one of the three classifications
was the number of single persons shown to be less than 41 per cent.
The percentage of widowed persons at Ingleside was about one-
fifth more than in the almshouses at large, and four times as great
as in the general population of the state. The discrepancy between
the number of widowed and married persons at Ingleside in com-
* A few children were at Ingleside with their mothers for a short period while
awaiting the completing of plans, but they are not included in the 1,156 cases
upon which this table is based.
329
THE RESIDUUM OF RELIEF
panson with the almshouses of the United States may be accounted
for by the fact that a number of so-called ''widowed" persons
reported at Ingleside were separated or deserting partners.
Table 1 1 5 shows the ages of the inmates as compared with
those of inmates of the San Francisco almshouse and of all alms-
houses during the periods specified.
TABLE 115. — AGE DISTRIBUTION OF INMATES OF INGLESIDE MODEL
CAMP, COMPARED WITH AGE DISTRIBUTION OF INMATES OF
SAN FRANCISCO ALMSHOUSE DURING A TEN-YEAR PERIOD, AND
OF INMATES OF ALL ALMSHOUSES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN
1903-1904
Age period
Less than 10 years.
I o years and less than 20 years
20 years and less than 30 years
30 years and less than 40 years
40 years and less than 50 years
50 years and less than 60 years
60 years and less than 70 years
70 years and less than 80 years
80 years and less than 90 years
90 years and over .
Age unknown ....
INMATES OF
INGLESIDE
MODEL CAMP
INMATES OF SAN
FRANCISCO ALMS-
HOUSE 1894-
1906 a
Num-
ber
2
22
67
114
226
412
235
49
5
24
Total
1,156
Per
Num-
cent
ber
.2
17
1.9
5.8
159
386
9.9
775
19.6
35.6
20.3
1.457
3,008
1,446
4.2
231
4
20
2.1
9
100. 0
7,508
Per
cent
.2
2.1
51
10.3
19.4
40.1
19.3
•3
.1
INMATES OF ALL
ALMSHOUSES OF
UNITED STATES
1 903- 1 904 b
Num-
ber
7,151
5,706
13,835
16,402
21,358
26,448
31,810
26,237
9,715
1,344
3,170
1 00.0
163,176
Per
cent
4-4
3-5
8.5
lO.I
13. 1
16.2
19.5
16.0
6.0
.8
19
1 00.0
a Figures for ten years. No report was published for the year 1 900-1 901.
b The figures given relate to paupers in almshouses, December 31, 1903, and
to paupers admitted during the year 1904.
As Ingleside Model Camp was established to house the aged,
the infirm, the handicapped, and the convalescent, it was to be
expected that as many as 92 per cent of the inmates should be over
forty years of age, 82 per cent over fifty, and 62 per cent over
sixty years of age.
Table 1 16 shows that for many years the foreign born have
been more than twice as numerous in the almshouses as in the
330
The Reading Room
■> ^ 3 »
The Sewing Room
Ingleside Model Camp
STATISTICS FROM INGLESIDE RECORDS
general population of the city and county of San Francisco. The
proportion of foreign born found in the Ingleside figures would
undoubtedly have been materially larger than the 53.8 per cent
reported if it had been possible to distribute Ingleside's 29.1 per
cent ''unknown'' between native and foreign born. This result
corresponds to the figures for the whole country in which the
foreign born whites have a much larger representation in the de-
pendent than in the general population. It must not be over-
looked, however, that dependence may be due quite as much to
the fact of belonging to the unskilled wage-earning class as to
being a foreigner.
TABLE 116. — NATIVITY OF INMATES OF INGLESIDE MODEL CAMP,
COMPARED WITH NATIVITY OF INMATES OF SAN FRANCISCO
ALMSHOUSE DURING A TEN-YEAR PERIOD, AND OF THE GENERAL
POPULATION OF THE CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO IN
1900
Inmates of San
General popu-
Inmates of In-
Francisco alms-
lation of city
Country of birth
gleside Model
house during 10
and county of
Camp
years, 1894-
San Francisco,
1906a
1900
Number considered .
1,1^6
7^33
34^,782
Per cent born as specified —
United States
17.1
27. \
65.9
Foreign countries
Canada ....
.9
1.6
1-5
China
.2
•3
31
England
4.2
51
2.6
France .
1.6
3.0
1.4
Germany
9.9
9.8
10.3
Ireland .
24.0
37-2
4-7
Italy
I.I
1-3
2.2
Mexico .
•9
, ,
•4
Norway .
.6
•7
.6
Scotland .
2.0
1-3
•9
Sweden
1.4
2.0
1-5
Switzerland
.9
1-3
.6
Other foreign countries
6.1
9.2
4.3
Total
53.8
72.8
34.1
Unknown
29.1
.1
Grand total . . * .
100.0
100.0
100.0
a No report was published for the year 1 900-1 901
331
THE RESIDUUM OF RELIEF
The proportion of Irish in the Ingleside camp was about
five times as great as in the general population of San Francisco,
but only about two-thirds as great as in the San Franpisco alms-
house. The Germans, on the other hand, constitute a slightly
larger proportion of the general population than of either the
Ingleside inmates or inmates of the San Francisco almshouse.
The English have contributed considerably more than their pro-
portionate quota to Ingleside and to the almshouse.
Occupation is quite as important as nationality, age, or
infirmity, in determining what individuals in a given locality are
likely to become dependent. The table presented below shows the
facts on this point:
TABLE I 17. — OCCUPATIONS OF INMATES OF
' INGLESIDE MODEL CAMP^
•>
Occupation
PERSONS OF EACH SPECI-
FIED OCCUPATION
Number
Per cent
Laborers
Domestics
Cooks and cooks' helpers
Housekeepers
Dressmakers and seamstresses .
Lodging-house and boarding-house keeper
Nurses
Carpenters and carpenters' helpers .
Peddlers
Clerks
Bakers
Agents and canvassers ....
Teamsters
Waiters
Painters and painters* helpers
Tailors and tailoresses ....
Miners
Cannery workers
Laundry workers
Sailors
Machinists
Shoemakers and cobblers
Storekeepers
Teachers
Blacksmiths
Other occupations ....
s
139
85
67
63
44
30
25
24
23
18
15
14
14
14
13
13
12
12
12
10
10
9
9
9
9
362
13.2
8.1
6.4
6.0
4.2
2.8
2.4
2.3
2.2
1.7
1.4
1-3
1-3
1-3
1.2
1.2
I.I
I.I
I.I
•9
.9
•9
.9
•9
•9
34.3
Total
1,055
1 00.0
^ I nformation relative to occupation was not secured for i o i of the 1,156 inmates.
332
m.
STATISTICS FROM INGLESIDE RECORDS
The table reveals an occupational distribution of Ingleside
inmates materially different from that found in the typical alms-
house. At Ingleside, as in most permanent institutions for adult
dependents, the laboring and domestic classes constituted the chief
element, but the proportion of persons in these classes seems to have
been smaller than is generally the case. Of the 123,647 inmates of
almshouses in the United States in 1904 who were classified accord-
ing to occupation by the census office, 59,119, or 47.8 per cent,
were reported as non-agricultural laborers or as servants. The
persons classified as cooks, laborers, and servants admitted to the
San Francisco almshouse from 1869 to 1894 numbered 5,330, or
41.4 per cent of the 12,879 persons admitted who were nineteen
years of age or over and had had occupations. It appears from
Table 117 that 354, or 33.7 per cent, of the 1,055 Ingleside in-
mates classified according to occupations were laborers, domestics,
cooks and cooks' helpers, or housekeepers. In other words, the
proportion of persons occupied as laborers or in domestic occupa-
tions seems to have been about one-third at Ingleside, as compared
with slightly over four-tenths in the San Francisco almshouse and
slightly less than one-half in the almshouses of the United States.
These comparisons must be accepted with some caution
because of differences in the classifications of occupations applied
to the three sets of data. A reasonable allowance for this factor
does not, however, alter the distributions in such a degree as to
invalidate the results obtained. The figures cited may be accepted
as indicating with substantial accuracy differences in the general
proportions of laborers and domestic workers.
For the purpose of this study the chief interest of the table
of occupations lies in a few groups which are represented not at all
or by only a few individuals in the permanent institutions for de-
pendents, but which at Ingleside comprised about 13 per cent of
the population. In these groups were dressmakers, seamstresses,
lodging-house and boarding-house keepers, nurses, storekeepers,
agents and canvassers, and teachers. These, plus an indefinite
number that might be added from the other miscellaneous occupa-
tions, were undoubtedly for the most part accidental dependents.
They, it might also be assumed, would be likely to regain self-
support if given assistance by the Rehabilitation Committee.
333
THE RESIDUUM OF RELIEF
But the inference from the general information given in the
foregoing tables is that, apart from this comparatively small
proportion, in respect to age distribution, proportion of the sexes,
social status, and nativity, the inmates of Ingleside Model Camp
did not differ essentially from the inmates of the San Francisco
almshouse. It would have been interesting to know how long
these persons had lived in California, but unfortunately this
information is given in only about one-third of the cases. Ninety
per cent of this third are recorded as having been more than ten
years in the state. Since applicants might assume, however,
that relief would be given more readily to old residents than to
transients, it is probable that a number of the unknown were recent
arrivals who were careful not to admit the fact.
in the detailed study of individuals which follows, the cases
are classified with respect to dependence or independence before
the disaster and with respect to relief afterward. It will serve to
show to what extent conclusions have been justified.
334
II
RELIEF AND NON-RELIEF CASES
1. GENERAL ANALYSIS
IN analyzing the material relating to the 1,156 persons known
to have been in Ingleside Model Camp at some time, and
included in this study, it must be remembered that practically
all had already received relief in the shape of food, clothing, and
shelter at other camps or in hospitals during the six months
succeeding the fire. The word "relief will be used hereafter to
refer to specific aid refused or given outside of Ingleside.
After the primal necessities, food, clothing, and shelter have
been provided, the factor of highest importance in determining
what further relief shall be given is the family relation. With
respect to family relationship, the inmates of Ingleside have been
classified in the following table:
TABLE 118. — FAMILY RELATIONS OF INMATES OF INGLESIDE MODEL
CAMP
/
PERSONS IN EACH CLASS
Family relation
Number
Per cent
Single and widowed men and women ....
Aged married couples, or aged mothers, each with an
adult son or daughter
Mothers with young children
Transients, for whom only slight data, or no data at
all, are available
868
93
28
167
75.1
8.0
2.4
H-5
Total
1,156
1 00.0
In this table the divorced, deserted, and separated persons
are included among the single and widowed because they required
the same treatment.
335
THE RESIDUUM OF RELIEF
2. APPLICANTS AND NON-APPLICANTS FOR RELIEF AND
REHABILITATION
The transients at Ingleside who were single men and women
merely waiting to hear from friends or of possible jobs, and a few
families temporarily stranded, are for lack of full information
omitted from the discussion that follows. The 28 mothers with
young children, most of whom were at the camp a short time, have
also been omitted because they were not representative of the
classes for which Ingleside was maintained, and furthermore be-
cause the Associated Charities assumed responsibility for their
treatment.
The 961 persons remaining fall into two general classes:
families of aged adults, and detached people of both sexes. Since
the problem of an old mother with an adult son or daughter is
almost identical with that of an old married couple, they are studied
together. These two general classes have been rearranged in the
following table according as they applied or did not apply for relief
to the Corporation before April i, 1907, or to the Associated Chari-
ties* through which agency applications for reHef on the part of
Ingleside inmates were made after that date.
TABLE 119. — INMATES OF INGLESIDE MODEL CAMP CLASSIFIED AS
FAMILIES AND SINGLE AND WIDOWED MEN AND WOMEN AND
AS APPLICANTS TO SAN FRANCISCO RELIEF AND RED CROSS
FUNDS, APPLICANTS TO ASSOCIATED CHARITIES, AND NON-
APPLICANTS
Applicants and non-applicants
FAMILY
N umber of !
families i
' CASES
Number
of persons
Single and
widowed
men and
women
All persons
(i) Applicants to S. F. R. and R.
C. F. to March 31, 1907
(2) Applicants to Associated
Charities from April i, 1907 .
(3) Non-applicants .
26
7
13
53
26
215
68
585
268
82
611
Total
46
93
868
961
See Part V, p. 298 ff.
336
RELIEF AND NON-RELIEF CASES
Of the 585 single and widowed non-applicants, 425 were
men and 160 women. The 93 persons included under family
cases are identical with the 93 mentioned in Table 118 as aged
couples or aged mothers each with an adult son or daughter.
(a) Family Cases
The group of 46 families of 93 persons, 12 of whom only were
under fifty years of age, will first be studied.
The treatment of aged couples, whether a husband and wife
or an old mother with an elderly son or daughter, should differ
from that of infirm single men and women because there are bonds
of relationship to be conserved. So long as either partner shows
any capacity for self-support it is a practical as well as a humane
thing to try the experiment of re-establishing him or her. If
in some or even in a majority of cases the experiment prove a
failure, the risk is nevertheless one to be taken. The experiments
in behalf of this group of 46 families had often to be made with
very scant information as to the capacity of the applicants. In
judging the results it must not be forgotten that all the institutions
for the aged and infirm were full in the winter of 1906-07, and
that a thorough investigation such as is usually made by a charity
organization society before giving aid was then quite impossible.
1. Twenty-six of the families, comprising 53 adults, as shown
by Table 1 19, applied to the Corporation for relief before April i,
1907, and 20 of these received relief in addition to their home at
Ingleside. Of the adults in these families, two-thirds were women
of an average age of fifty-seven years, the other third, men of an
average age of sixty-three years. More than half were perma-
nently incapacitated by senility or by paralysis, lead-poisoning,
blindness, deafness, severe hernia, the loss of a leg or an arm, or
mental defect.
Of seven of the couples that received grants, the wife or
husband died within a year after the fire, before the struggle to
maintain themselves had more than begun. The following notes
relate to six of the seven. A grant of $250 and a sewing machine
was made to a paralyzed engineer and his wife. The wife had
supported herself and her husband for several years by a little
store which she re-established. After the husband died she con-
22 337
THE RESIDUUM OF RELIEF
tinued to do well until she fell and broke her thigh. She was then
sent to a hospital and from there to the Relief Home. A peddler
of seventy-four who seemed to have had some savings received
$150 to buy a stock of optical goods. The wife, who kept a
rooming house at first successfully but after his death less so,
applied to the Associated Charities in 1908 for more aid. The
visitor, who refused assistance because the woman still had money
from the husband's life insurance, made the note : '' The woman is a
fraud and a fortune teller, but ill and pathetic." Two families
of this group, although chronic charity cases before the disaster,
were helped to buy small amounts of clothing and furniture and
in one case a seventy-five dollar wooden leg. The surviving part-
ners, as might be expected, are now in the Relief Home. Two
able-bodied wives, when deprived of their husbands by death,
became self-supporting. One was a nurse, the other a washer-
woman about fifty years of age. One received $22 to furnish a
room, and the other was given clothing. The following notes tell
briefly the story of one more of the 26 families. Three women
of three different generations proved too heavily handicapped
with sickness. The mother, who died of shock soon after the
earthquake, has not been considered as among those applying
for relief. The daughter had become poisoned while working in a
lithographic shop and later developed tuberculosis. She and the
grandmother, a seamstress, still able-bodied, were moved to a
locality where the older woman could presumably get work, and
were given a stove and a little money for comforts. But when the
young girl also died, the old woman gave up the struggle and went
to the Relief Home. Thus, of these 14 persons specifically men-
tioned, seven died within a year after the fire, four went to the
Relief Home, while one became partially and two entirely self-
supporting.
Besides the two families already described who received
charitable aid before the fire, there were two other such among
these applicants. One, an old mother and son, had lost furniture
and personal efi'ects estimated as worth §400. They applied for
rehabilitation and a sewing machine in August, 1906. As the
son was unmarried, able-bodied, and under forty years of age, the
grant was refused on the ground that he should support his mother.
338
RELIEF AND NON-RELIEF CASES
Some months later, from the officers at Ingleside, it was learned
that the man was industrious and had good habits, but was unable
to keep regular work on account of being feeble-minded. A grant
of $75 and a sewing machine was therefore made. A year later
the Associated Charities found the man out of work and the
mother feeble, and decided that the Relief Home was the place for
her. It seemed inevitable that the son should arrive there when
his only asset, muscular strength, should be used up.
The second family had been in receipt of aid from several
charities before the fire. It consisted of a deaf, partly paralyzed,
«
and hard-drinking old carpenter and his ailing wife, both past
sixty years of age. They claimed to have lost a thousand dollars'
worth of furniture and personal property but applied while at
Ingleside for the small sum of $40 for special relief. Ten dollars
was given. Six months afterward they applied to the Associated
Charities. The man, who meanwhile had been earning $3.00
per day, had broken two ribs. The Associated Charities, there-
fore, paid their rent (I12) and in March, 1909, they were tem-
porarily self-supporting. They were, however, the inevitably de-
pendent family that if life were prolonged would find its way to
the Relief Home.*
The effect on family life of the presence of drunken husbands
is a monotonous tale, but it is cheering now and then to hear of a
decent wife rescued from her fate. A drunken old peddler and
his old wife recovering from illness were granted $100 for furniture
and clothing. Before they left Ingleside the camp commander
urged that the woman be sent to her relatives in Pennsylvania
"to escape the brutality of her husband.'' Upon the relatives
agreeing to care for her, transportation and $50 were given to carry
her to them. The peddler drifted to the Relief Home.
Of quite another sort were the remaining nine of the 20
families that received relief. Although some of their members ar-
rived at the Relief Home they came by another road, along which
they struggled so courageously as to win the respect of all who knew
them. In this better class are an aged German sign painter and his
still more aged and very feeble wife. Before the fire he had been
* Six months after the date when this was written they were in the Relief
Home.
339
THE RESIDUUM OF RELIEF
able to earn $20 a week, and although his eyesight was already
failing, he asked the Corporation for tools, supplies, and a little
rent. The visitor reported that there were three grown children, —
a feeble-minded son, a crippled daughter who earned a bare living
as a waitress, and a married son too poor to care for his parents.
The feeble old mother was transferred to the Relief Home and $90
altogether was given the old man with which to re-establish himself.
After a year, he too, overcome by his failing sight, submitted to
be sent to stay with his wife in the Relief Home. When at the
last moment he wept because he could not pay the rent in arrears,
a benevolent society paid it in order that he might go conscience
free.
Other families with an average advantage in age of at least
ten years maintained themselves in spite of serious handicaps. A
man who had many years before lost both legs, had prior to 1906
earned §45 per month as an elevator man. He asked for furniture
and clothing. Although the wife was strong neither physically
nor mentally, ^i 50 was granted in care of the Associated Charities.
Two and a half years later the wife was at work, the husband had
just secured a permanent position as elevator man, and a little
of the grant was left for emergencies. Another elderly couple,
consisting of a blind husband and an able-bodied wife, who had
earned together about $30 a month before the fire, received §150
for household relief and a news-stand. They went into business
in a suburb and became self-supporting.
That kindly and influential friends are quite as useful as
money to those in straits, is illustrated by the case of an old master
mariner, disabled for many years, who was supported by his com-
petent wife. Before the fire she kept a small notion store and was
caretaker for a settlement club. On the recommendation of the
settlement workers who knew her worth she received a grant of
§115 and a refugee cottage which was erected on the grounds of a
society for which she acted as janitress. She and her husband
were then able to live comfortably in their cottage on her earnings
of §25 per month.
A similar case is that of the family in which the Hebrew
husband, although seventy-eight years old, had been able before the
fire to earn a living for himself and his wife with a little cigar store.
340
1 -> i ,
The Kitchen
» > > *
• » > * ,
The Dining Room
Ingleside Model Camp
RELIEF AND NON-RELIEF CASES
They were known as honest, industrious people to a society that
recommended them for a grant of $150. Later, $77.50 worth of
plumbing and repairs were added to their cottage. They prom-
ised to be self-supporting for some time. In case of need the
Hebrew Board of Relief stood ready to make a monthly allowance
so that they might never go to the Relief Home.
Other cases of which less is known were encouraging. A
painter, his wife, and his wife's sister, who received $50 for furni-
ture, had not again applied for help. An old hunchback and his
wife who received $80 for furniture and clothing, were given the
use of land on the edge of the city by some friends, and for a while
at least were made self-supporting by the proceeds of their chickens
and their garden. Another family, exceptional in that both part-
ners were under fifty years of age, received a grant of $250. The
husband, a longshoreman, had had both arms broken, but two
years after the fire the couple were again self-supporting. As
they are exceptional also in having several young male relatives
in the city, they are not likely to become dependent.
Another history is differentiated from the varied but generally
pitiful struggles of old persons by its ending touched with romance.
An old mother with a daughter nearing middle age lost furniture,
clothing, piano, and paintings worth $1,000. They had earned a
modest living, the mother by taking roomers, the daughter by
teaching music. They were given a sewing machine and $300
with which to establish a rooming house. Within a year and a
half the mother became so seriously demented as to prevent their
keeping lodgers. They fell behind in the rent, the Associated
Charities supplied food and after a severe struggle on the daughter's
part to keep her mother out of the insane asylum, the old woman
was finally committed in the summer of 1908. Meanwhile a
kindly lodger became interested in the younger woman, and after
his references had been approved by the Associated Charities,
the daughter married him.
A brief review of the circumstances and habits of five of the
six families who applied for relief and were refused fully justifies
the decision of the Rehabilitation Committee. The first was a
woman of fifty whose husband, a man over eighty, had died at
Ingleside in the autumn of 1906. She not only was fairly strong
341
THE RESIDUUM OF RELIEF
but had grown children quite able to give her a home. The second
was an old couple by no means incapacitated who had kept a store
and been pretty well-to-do before the fire. They were given a
cottage and $50 for furniture before coming to Ingleside, but were
refused business rehabilitation on the ground that the $500 in-
surance they had received was sufficient to re-establish them. In
1908 the Associated Charities gave them a stove and had some
plumbing done in their cottage, but they were found to be grasping
and untrustworthy. Two other couples were of the hard-drinking,
intermittently-working, often-sick type, to whom rehabilitation can
never be given with any prospect of success. Of these, a compara-
tively young couple were given $50 for furniture and clothing and
were provided with employment. In the following two years
husband and wife had been twice to the Associated Charities for
help, and had been in and out of the county hospital. When
last seen they were ''living with friends.'' The other couple, the
man a drunkard and the woman a fakir, had a charity record,
reaching back to 1896, in which they were described as being too
incompetent to support themselves. They were forcibly removed
from a wretched shack to Ingleside in the winter of 1907 and are
now in the Relief Home.
The last of this group was an old mother with an epileptic
son of fifty, by occupation a cooper. They had lived on the verge
of distress before the fire, and although the son afterward earned
good wages for awhile cleaning bricks, it was not believed that he
could long support his mother and himself. In the winter of 1907
both were obliged to go to the Relief Home.
2. The seven families at Ingleside who applied first to the
Associated Charities for rehabilitation do not differ as a group in
any way from the earlier applicants. Two are cases of old people
neglected by their grown up children; two, of the chronically
unfortunate and inevitably dependent class; and two couples,
younger than those we have been considering, were forced to
apply for help because the man in each family developed tuber-
culosis. One case only, foreigners of good birth and education,
differs in the details of the struggle and in its solution. Both
husband and wife were teachers who had scarcely made a living
before the fire and who, being over sixty years of age, could not
342
RELIEF AND NON-RELIEF CASES
regain their clientele nor find new work. The Rehabilitation
Committee through the Associated Charities sent them back to
their native country where they will have a home with relatives.
If we turn from the picturesque, human aspect of the families
who applied for rehabilitation or relief, to the financial, the brief
summary is: (i) Twenty families of 41 persons, whose estimated
total losses amounted to §10,000, asked for relief to the amount of
§3,000 and were granted relief to the money value of $2,500. In
addition they received shelter and food at Ingleside at a cost of
§2,200. (2) After three years seven of the 41 individuals were
dead, 10 were in charitable institutions, one was in an insane asy-
lum, one was married, three were with relatives, and 19 were self-
supporting.* Aside from the comfort afi'orded to each by the
grants received, it may be said to have cost §132 apiece to make
the 19 persons self-supporting. It must not be forgotten that
while the efi'ort was being made to gain self-support outside of the
institution, the institution was spared the cost of maintaining each
at a rate of not less than 50 cents a day.
3. The last group of the families of adults to be considered is
the 1 3 families containing 26 persons that did not apply for specific
relief other than institutional care. They differ from those that
did apply chiefly in being a little more infirm and incompetent
and in having no children or relatives, apparently, to fall back
upon. It is probable that some of them did not apply for re-
habilitation because Ingleside Camp and the Relief Home seemed
to be the only natural or desirable relief. Information is available
as to the subsequent fate of only 19 of the 26 persons. Of these,
four were known to be dead three years after the disaster, eight
were in the Relief Home, one was in another home, four were self-
supporting, and two had moved to the country.
(b) Single and Widowed Men and Women
1. The 21 5 single and widowed men and women at Ingleside
who asked for aid from the Rehabilitation Committee before
April, 1907,1 are roughly classified in Table 120.
* The data for all of the 20 families are not given in the preceding pages.
The 19 persons listed as self-supporting, it should be borne in mind, were in several
cases believed to be only temporarily independent of charitable aid.
t See Table 1 19, p. 336.
343
THE RESIDUUM OF RELIEF
TABLE 120. — SINGLE AND WIDOWED INMATES OF INGLESIDE MODEL
CAMP APPLYING TO THE SAN FRANCISCO RELIEF AND RED CROSS
FUNDS FOR REHABILITATION, BY NATURE OF REHABILITATION
APPLIED FOR
Nature of relief applied for
Applicants for
relief of each
specified nature
Business rehabilitation
Household rehabilitation
Transportation
Special relief
Hospital care
General relief
46
43
27
38
1 1
50
Total
215
Business Rehabilitation. Of the 46 persons in this group
who appHed for business rehabiHtation, 29 were men and 17 were
women. Eighteen of the 29 men received aid to the amount of
$1,389, the largest individual grant being $200 to an attorney,
aged thirty-one, who asked only for law books. This man is one
of the small group who, three years after the grant was made,
were known to be self-supporting.
No action was taken by the Committee in six cases, either
because the applicants could not be found at the addresses given,
because they refused the aid offered, or because the applications
were received too late.
Grants were refused in five cases. In this group is a so-
called attorney, a man who had fraudulently lived by his wits
for years. Immediately after the fire this plausible old fakir was
cared for by a religious society which asked for special clothing for
him because he was ''an odd size.'' He applied to the Rehabilita-
tion Committee for $1,500 to rebuild a lodging house he claimed
to have owned. The visitor found that he had not owned a house
and lot before the fire, that the old woman relative whom he pro-
fessed to have supported was another fraud, and that his only real
claim on charity was that he was too fat to wear ready made
clothes. In the summer of 1909 he was again heard of at a summer
resort earning his living by assisting an evangelist in religious
meetings.
344
RELIEF AND NON-RELIEF CASES
Three years after the grants were made the condition of the
1 8 men who were aided was ascertained to be as follows: three
were found to be self-supporting; for four no definite information
was obtained but they were believed to be independent; eight were
dependent, and three had died. The eight dependent cases, all
elderly men, were with one exception being cared for at the Relief
Home; one was in an insane asylum.
A young seaman who is recorded as having died after being
aided, committed suicide. He had had a leg amputated, had been
in the hospital for sometime after the fire, and then had gone to
Ingleside to convalesce. The Relief Committee gave him an
artificial leg, and he was in and out of the Relief Home several
times trying unsuccessfully to find work. On his return from one
of the attempts he killed himself. The other two who died were
elderly men.
To put the case from the financial point of view, $1,389
was given to 18 men; $620 has made seven of them possibly self-
supporting, and $769 was expended upon 1 1 who failed. Those
who were not found at the address given may be self-supporting
as they have not drifted back to the Rehabilitation Committee.
A single fact is suificient to explain the success of one group and the
failure of the other. The seven successful ones averaged fifty
years of age, while omitting the exceptional case of the young
seaman 10 of the 1 1 averaged sixty-seven years. Again, the occu-
pations of the unsuccessful are seen to be unskilled and common
labor. Incompetence, physical or mental, added to age in most
instances, brought these men to Ingleside.
Twelve of the 1 7 women who applied for business rehabilita-
tion were given aid. One of these, a lodging-house keeper who
expected to receive $2,500 in insurance, was granted only $75.
When the insurance was received it amounted to but $700, and as
she invested in a large rooming house, heavy debts were incurred.
Though she was running behind she may not have failed. She
blamed the Rehabilitation Committee for not having given aid
sufficient to insure success. Two milliners, each about forty years
of age, together received $699 and had not re-established them-
selves. One, however, had had typhoid fever after the fire, and never
fully recovered. Both were doing a little casual work. Five others
345
THE RESIDUUM OF RELIEF
who were given grants amounting to $560 were dependent. None
of these had gixen much promise of self-support but were given
the full benefit of the doubt. One of them, later in the Relief
Home, lost j? 100 in the fire, which she had painfully saved for
proper burial. The Rehabilitation Committee replaced this money
for funeral expenses.
One of the five women who were denied business rehabilita-
tion was refused because she owned real estate which when sold
would provide sufficient capital.
Household Rehabilitation. The records of application
for household relief by single or widowed inmates present quite
another aspect of the relief situation than that exhibited by the
data regarding business rehabilitation. The 43 people in this group*
asked for very little more than the two essentials — ^furniture and
clothing. Clothing had been given in quantities immediately
after the fire, and these applicants, aged and infirm people, re-
applied months later when winter was coming on. The heavier
part of their demand was, however, for furniture to start bachelor
housekeeping. Before the fire San Francisco abounded in fur-
nished lodgings at all prices; but afterward there were almost none
to be had at prices within the means of those whose age and inca-
pacity prevented them from earning more than minimum wages.
Furniture for the shacks, cottages, and tenements was necessary,
but because of the dearth of second-hand stufi^, the prices of new
pieces, even of the meanest sort, were very high. The average
grant of $59 per person, therefore, was not too much with which to
buy a bed and bedding, a table, chairs, and cooking utensils, and,
in some cases, to pay the first month's rent. A visitor of much
experience, in commenting on such cases, said, "It is appalling
to think that mere beds and tables may make the diff^erence be-
tween pauperism and independence.'' Grants were refused to
three applicants; two of them drank to excess, and the third was
in need of permanent care.
When one considers that these applicants above sixty years
of age were sewing women, charwomen and cleaners, cannery
workers, peddlers, and laborers who must regain their patrons or
find new work, the results are very encouraging. One-third only
* See Table 120, p. 344.
346
RELIEF AND NON-RELIEF CASES
were in 1909 found to be dependent on charity; another third were
living with relatives or had died or been lost to view; while the
last third were presumably self-supporting.
Transportation. The 27 persons who applied for trans-
portation were rather more homogeneous than those of any other
group. In 15 cases transportation was granted. These 15 in-
dividuals were maintained for months at Ingleside until assurance
was obtained that they would have proper care if transported;
and yet, the experiment was not always successful. For instance,
an old nurse was sent to Chicago where her nephews and nieces,
although poor, had offered her a home which was visited and ap-
proved by the Chicago Bureau of Charities. After some months
in Chicago the exacting old woman became so burdensome that
the relatives could not care for her. With the advice of the Bureau
of Charities she was sent back to San Francisco and placed in the
home for the aged. In a few cases careful plans came to nothing,
because erratic old people would not consent to be transported.
The case of an old woman of 97 is very pathetic. She had
formerly lived in San Francisco and had stored her furniture when
she went away. She happened to be visiting in the city on April
18, 1906, in the district burned. The step-daughter to whom she
went first abused her and then sent her to Ingleside. The poor
old woman while waiting to be given transportation to join fier
husband in Utah fell ill and just after the coveted transportation
was given '*died of disappointment.'' No judgment can be
formed as to whether there was unnecessary delay on the part of
the visitor of the Rehabilitation Committee but after the shock
of the earthquake, ''disappointment" can scarcely be regarded as
the chief cause of death.
The war veterans, four of whom were transportation cases
and not less than a dozen of whom were at Ingleside, gave trouble
quite disproportionate to the hoped-for results. They were
traveling paupers each of whom had either been discharged for
bad conduct from some soldiers' home or more probably had left
because of restless and vicious habits. Two were given transporta-
tion to Washington, District of Columbia, where they belonged,
but neither ever arrived. Two others were refused transportation
because they belonged in a veterans' home in California.
347
^
t
THE RESIDUUM OF RELIEF
To summarize the 1 5 cases to whom about ^1,000 was given
in transportation and money, four in 1 909 were still, in spite of what
seems to have been reasonable precaution, dependent on the charity
of San Francisco and one on the charity of Philadelphia. The
burden of the other 10 was transferred to relatives or to com-
munities to whom it rightly belonged and San Francisco was
relieved from a possible future obligation greater than that repre-
sented by the $1,000 expended.
Transportation was not given in 12 cases. The principal
reason for the refusal of transportation was the lack of assurance
that the persons applying would not become charges on the com-
munities to which they wished to go. Six are now in homes for
the aged, one died shortly after applying, two may have returned
to the soldiers' homes where they belonged, and three are possi-
bly self-supporting. Their circumstances and condition are shown
by the following transcript from the records.
Grant Refused:
Night clerk; age 61. Applied for transportation to San Diego.
Recommendations not sufficient. Got job as watchman. In Relief
Home.
Watchman; age 43. Applied for transportation to Los Angeles.
Physically incapacitated. In Relief Home.
Hotel runner; age 47. Asked for transportation to family in
Spokane. Able to work.
Peddler and war veteran; age 80. Applied for transportation to
brothers in New York with whom he had quarreled long ago. Had left
Veterans' Home in 1904. Got work.
Ship joiner; age 75. New York relatives refused to receive him
because of his vicious habits, but would pay for him in Relief Home,
where he remained.
Chiropodist and war veteran; age 83. Son in New York surprised
that he had left Soldiers' Home. Would receive him if fare was paid.
French cook; age 68. Asked for transportation to brother in
France, but brother did not reply to letters. Went to work.
Longshoreman; age 57. Wished to go to Los Angeles. Had been
in hospital for weeks, unable to care for himself. Died shortly afterward
in camp.
Teamster (Negro); age 65. Applied for transportation to wife
348
RELIEF AND NON-RELIEF CASES
in Washington, D. C. No reply from wife. In Relief Home for third
time.
Carpenter; age 57. Wished to go to Seattle to collect debt of
o. Was advised to write. In Relief Home.
Grant Canceled:
Car builder; age 69. Granted ^100 and transportation to sister
in Northern California. Went to Iowa instead. Check for J 100 can-
celled.
No Action:
Cigar clerk; age 69. Applied for transportation to sister in Kansas.
Could not be found by visitor. Later, in Relief Home.
Special Relief. The 38 single or widowed inmates whose
applications fall under the head of '' Special Relief were nearly all
in need of special medical or surgical attention, or of convalescent
care.
From the standpoint of restoration to self-support this group,
as shown by the abstract given below, is discouraging, but it is
doubtful if the Rehabilitation Committee in granting the special
relief, expected the recipients to regain economic independence.
Owing to the crowded condition of the hospitals in 1906 and 1907
it was necessary to avoid sending to them persons who could be
provided for otherwise. The yet greater overcrowding in the
institutions for the aged and infirm made it compulsory, until the
Relief Home was completed, to give some outdoor relief to those
who did not imperatively require institutional care.
Those still independent three years after the grant was made
averaged twelve years younger than those then receiving relief.
The financial showing is not so discouraging as the social. The
29 persons received grants amounting to $2,955, an average of
$102 each. This sum would have paid for keep in an institution,
if there had been room, for not more than seven months. The
average time that elapsed before each became dependent is, in the
known cases, considerably more than seven months. The money
therefore was not wasted. Moreover, those objecting, as most of
them did, to going to an institution, had the comfort of attempting
self-support.
349
the residuum of relief
Grant Made:*
(a) Not Dependent (probably):
Domestic servant; age 68. Granted $150. No information could
be obtained in 1909.
Domestic servant; age 35. Granted $75 for an operation. Self-
supporting.
Cook; age 66. Granted $50. No information could be obtained
in 1909.
Housewife; age 50. Granted $75 for washing machine. Ejected
from Ingleside. Small amount for current expenses.
Cannery clerk; age 61. Granted $20, and later $75, to go to hos-
pital and then to the country. Now with friends.
Plasterer; age 56. Granted $50. Later arrested and in jail three
months.
Peddler; age 54. Granted $60 and a free license. No information
obtained in 1909.
Carpenter; age 32. Tuberculous. Granted J300 to go a warmer
climate. Now recovering.
(b) Dependent:
Cook; age 61. Living on savings before fire. Granted $100.
Later assisted by A. C. In Relief Home.
Seamstress; age 59. Granted $100. Assisted by private charity.
Bookkeeper; age 65. Granted $100. In Home for the Aged.
Janitress; age 50. Granted $50. Sent to hospital.
Domestic servant; age 38. Granted fj^. Partially self-sup-
porting; in and out of Relief Home.
Nurse; age 78. Granted $200. Went to niece. Assisted by
several charities.
Housewife; age 95. Granted $25 and later $125. In Home for
the Aged.
Rooming-house keeper; age 72. Granted $75. Went to hospital.
Assisted by private charity.
Nurse; age 65. Granted $100. In Relief Home.
Cloak maker; age 65. Granted $100. Assisted by charity. In
Relief Home.
Housewife; age 81. Granted $140 in instalments. In Relief Home.
Dressmaker; age 57. Granted ^100 and sewing machines. In
Relief Home.
*No information is available as to occupation, age, or present status of one of
the 29 persons to whom grants were made.
350
RELIEF AND NON-RELIEF CASES
House worker; age 60. Granted $100 and truss. In Relief
Home.
Seamstress; age 65. Granted $125 and sewing machine. In
Relief Home.
Peddler; age 60. Granted $20. In Relief Home.
(c) Dead:
Seamstress; age 75. Granted $150 in instalments. Died Sep-
tember, 1907.
Nurse; age 79. Granted $100 ''till well enough to work.'* Died
April, 1908.
Janitor; age 58. Granted $50 for stove and bedding. Died
February, 1907.
Lecturer on psychology; age 70. Granted $75 and transporta-
tion to San Diego. In Relief Home. Died 1908.
Housewife; age 67. Granted $150. Went to relatives. Died
1907.
Grant Refused:
Seamstress; age 36. Because earning $12 per week.
Nurse; age 64. In need of permanent care. Died in Relief Home
June, 1909.
Chambermaid; age 70. In need of permanent care.
Children's nurse; age 73. In need of permanent care. In
Relief Home.
Domestic servant; age 70. Asked for money to pursue invalid
claim to property.
No Action — Check Canceled:
Housewife; age 55. Could not be found by visitor.
Dressmaker; age 73. Granted $100 and sewing machine. Could
not be found.
Cannery worker; age 40. Granted $75. Could not be found by
visitor. Assisted later by Associated Charities to go to the country.
Maker of knitted articles; age 68. Granted Jioo and sewing
machine. Drank to excess. In Relief Home.
Hospital Care. The small group of 1 1 persons who applied
for hospital care, were of the same general character. Illnesses of
a serious nature required special treatment either at Ingleside or
other institution. Two of the 1 1 were sent to an insane asylum,
351
THE RESIDUUM OF RELIEF
two died at Ingleside, and five were in homes for the infirm. Two
became self-supporting.
General Relief. There remains a heterogeneous group
of appHcants for general relief, most of whom asked for money
for living expenses, or for such inexpensive things as false teeth,
trusses, and spectacles. Of the 50 persons who applied for general
relief, 20 were refused. The total amount paid out in grants to
the remaining 30 was $1,735.70.
Three years after the grants were made 10 of these persons,
five of whom received less than $25 each, were believed to be inde-
pendent, 1 5 were in the Relief Home, one was dependent on other
charity, and four were dead.
2. Between April, 1907, and April, 1909, 68 persons who had
been at Ingleside Model Camp at some time, in addition to the 14
persons in the seven families already considered in Table 1 19 and on
page 342, applied to the Associated Charities.* Since these 68 per-
sons did not apply to the Corporation during the first year after the
fire they must either have gone from Ingleside to friends or must
have expected to be self-supporting. More than half of them were
over fifty years of age and nearly all were more or less incapaci-
tated; in short, they do not seem to have differed from those who
before the fire found their way to the almshouse. On April 18,
1909, 39 of these were in the Relief Home, four were in asylums
or hospitals, four had left the city, and three were self-supporting.
With regard to 18 persons of this group no information could be
obtained.
3. The most conspicuous thing about those who did not apply
for rehabilitation, both men and women, is their high proportion
of disabilities, a proportion even higher than that of the applicants.
Of the 585 non-applicants among the single or widowed men and
women,! no less than 330, 56 per cent, were infirm or crippled, or
needed special care for some reason. Table 121 shows the nature
of their disabilities.
* See Table 1 19, p. 336.
t See Table 1 19, p. 336.
352
RELIEF AND NON-RELIEF CASES
TABLE 121. — DISABLED SINGLE AND WIDOWED INMATES OF INGLE-
SIDE MODEL CAMP WHO DID NOT APPLY FOR REHABILITATION,
BY SEX AND NATURE OF DISABILITY
••
• Nature of disability
NON-APPLICANTS WITH EACH
SPECIFIED DISABILITY
-
Men
Women
Total
infirm or crippled persons:
Too infirm to work
Lame or crippled
Feeble
Without one leg or one arm
Blind or very deaf
Paralyzed
Bed-ridden
33
19
19
9
II
1 1
21
6
I
3
33
30
21
19
15
12
3
Total
91
42
133
Persons needing special care:
Sick
Normally convalescent
Injured in accidents
Senile or demented
Severely rheumatic
Tubercular
44
31
33
16
15
4
23
2
4
8
67
48
35
16
19
12
Total
143
54
197
Grand total
234
96
330
Four-fifths of the 585 non-appHcants were over fifty years
of age. Nevertheless, they appHed for no reHef other than shelter
for a longer or shorter time at Ingleside. Their neglect to make
application for rehabilitation may be set down in a great measure
to the want of initiative due to infirmity (more than one-seventh
jof the number have since died), and to the apathy that comes to
the inevitable institution inmate. In 1909 one-third of this group
were in the Relief Home or in some other charitable refuge. But
the margin of over one-third of the remainder whose condition was
known, who went to work or to friends and were not as yet de-
pendent on charity, is surprisingly large.
Table 122 shows what became of the non-applicants as far
as the facts are known.
23
353
THE RESIDUUM OF RELIEF
TABLE 122. — SUBSEQUENT HISTORY OF SINGLE AND WIDOWED IN-
MATES OF INGLESIDE MODEL CAMP, WHO DID NOT APPLY
FOR REHABILITATION BY SEX
Subsequent history
INMATES WHOSE
HISTORY WAS AS
SPECIFIED
Men
Women
Total
Died within one year of admission to Ingleside
Died within three years of admission to Ingleside
Went to work or to friends or relatives
Now in charitable institutions
No information available
31
33
83
124
154
16
1 1
25
70
38
47
44
108
194
192
Total
425
160
585
It is highly suggestive that a very large proportion of those
who went to work or to friends or relatives left in January, 1908,
when Ingleside was about to be closed and all the inmates removed
to the Relief Home. When the final alternative was presented
to go permanently to an institution or to find some other home,
they were able to make the latter choice. Most of them belonged
to the wandering labor classes which find no hardship so great as
the monotonous, comfortable life of an orderly institution where
thorough discipline is maintained. The Relief Home was, for-
tunately, located beyond the city a mile from any car line. It
was far removed from the bustle and the sensational diversions
which were so pleasantly accessible to the lazy and the semi-
vicious at Ingleside. The mere limitation of the right to go in and
out freely was so irksome that many chose to take their chance in
the world again rather than go where they must ask for a pass.
(c) Applicants Who Had Never Been at Ingleside
Mention has already been made, page 325, of the fact that
between 100 and 200 persons left the almshouse shortly, after the
fire, most of them presumably going to the camps and posing as
refugees. Besides these there were 27 applicants for relief who,
although not in the almshouse at the time of the fire, had been
there one or more times, one of them 16 times, in the eight years
previous. In most instances the Rehabilitation Committee had
354
RELIEF AND NON-RELIEF CASES
*
no means of knowing that these people were former aim house in-
mates, and the grants were made merely on the ground of old age.
The more important details concerning this group of 27, none of
whom were at Ingleside, are as follows:
To 13 persons relief was granted in sums ranging from $15
to $125, and six of these were believed to be non-dependent in 1909,
while seven were in the Relief Home. Grants were refused to nine
applicants; eight of these required such care and supervision as
that provided in the Relief Home, and the ninth, who was an
opium taker, was aided by a sister. Checks were canceled in
three cases: one, because other relief was given; another, because
the applicant was found to be a drunkard; and the third, because
the money had been paid to the wrong person. In the two re-
maining cases of the 27 no action was taken.
It is surprising to find that the 13 cases in which relief was
granted average ten years younger than the Ingleside cases. They
were either persons who had gone in former years to the almshouse
to convalesce after illness, as was customary with those discharged
from the City and County hospital, or persons who had some
physical or mental disability that made it diflficult to keep employ-
ment. Most of the others who were not in the Relief Home in
April, 1909, if they live will probably come back there. Of the
14 applicants who did not receive aid, nine were in the Relief
Home three years after the disaster or had died there.
One last group of the aged and handicapped remains to be
mentioned, — 35 applicants who had been neither in the alms-
house nor at Ingleside, but who arrived at the Relief Home between
April, 1908, and April, 1909. These had been able to hold out
until then against the ravages of age, disease, incapacity, and mis-
fortune. A few, a very few, were again independent of relief three
years after the grant was made, but of the remainder, 2 1 were still
in the Relief Home or other charitable institutions, and nine had
either left the city or had died.
355
Ill
RESULTS
THE final important question to be considered in this study
of relief of the aged and infirm is: What proportion of the
aged and infirm persons in the Relief Home in April, 1909,
were there solely because of the earthquake and fire of April 18,
1906 ? To answer this question one must know the proportion be-
tween the total population of San Francisco and the aged and infirm
in the almshouse for some time previous to 1906.
TABLE 123. — PROPORTION OF ALMSHOUSE INMATES AND OF ALMS-
HOUSE ADMISSIONS TO TOTAL POPULATION, SAN FRANCISCO,
1890, 1900, 1905, AND 1909
Year
Population
of city and
county of San
Francisco
Average
number of
almshouse
inmates
Almshouse
inmates per
1,000 of
population
Admission
to alms-
house during
year
Admissions
to almshouse
per 1,000 of
population
1890
1900
190$
1909
298,997
342,782
379.847^
409,499a
736
947
890
1,295
2.5
2.8
2.3
3-2
560
670
773
816
1.9
2.0
2.0
2.0
a Estimated.
It seems fair to assume that the disaster was responsible,
at least in part, for the increase of the proportion of almshouse
inmates in the population from 2.3 per 1,000 in 1905 to 3.2
per 1,000 in 1909. The fact that in 1909 the number of ad-
missions was not higher indicates that already as regards this
class the abnormal conditions resulting from the fire were passing
away. The high death rate would shortly reduce the Relief Home
population almost to its normal proportion.*
* Between 1900 and 1905 the inmates of the almshouse went in and out much
more freely than they do now at the Relief Home, but the effect on the average
number present is impossible to calculate.
356
RESULTS OF WORK AT INGLESIDE
The increase, from 1904-05 to 1909, in the relative number
of almshouse inmates in the population must not be attributed
wholly to the disaster. The condemnation of the unsanitary
City and County Hospital threw a part of the burden of its chronic
cases on the Relief Home. The shock of the disaster to highly
nervous and ill-balanced persons doubtless produced insanity in a
number of cases. As the state insane hospitals were already over-
crowded, the least troublesome found refuge in the Relief Home.
But perhaps the most important factor in producing this char-
itable burden was the general disorganization of industry in the
years 1907-08, due to a street-car strike in San Francisco and to
the financial panic. The slow recovery of certain industries caused
by the exorbitant cost of building was perceptibly checked. The
result was that only young and able-bodied men could get work.
Old and semi-able men who would in normal times have continued
for several years to make a bare living, could find no work after the
brick cleaning was done. This economic stagnation accounts for
the failure of some who were given tools, or small grants to set up
little shops or buy stock to peddle. The buying capacity of the
laboring class, their prospective patrons, was greatly diminished.
Finally, the number of the aged and the infirm in the Relief
Home was increased by those sent from a number of the private
charities whose buildings were burned or whose funds were less-
ened. The private charitable agencies were the more inclined to
disburden themselves as the new institution was so attractive.
As one of the employes put it: '' If the city furnishes clean steam-
heated rooms, three hot meals a day, electric lights, and every con-
venience, the place will always be full. Lots of people in the Relief
Home never had so much before." The new institution at its ded-
ication was advertised to set a high standard of care. The main-
tenance of this standard by the superintendent drew to it, un-
doubtedly, some who formerly would not have applied for admis-
sion.
Since the variations in the numbers of the old almshouse
inmates registered the increase due to the industrial stagnation
following the labor agitation and the panic of 1893, it is reasonable
to conclude that the several circumstances described above had
357
THE RESIDUUM OF RELIEF
increased the number of the inmates in the Relief Home as much
as had the disaster of April i8, 1906.
An interesting question, growing out of the coalescence in
the ReHef Home of the Ingleside refugee group with the old alms-
house population, is the comparative social standing of the two
groups. Were the Ingleside inmates potential almshouse inmates
or were they such as would not have arrived there but for a great
and wholly impersonal misfortune? The ''refugees'' maintained
in the Relief Home a class identity and were particular to insist
that they were not like ''the old almshouse people/' It has been
pointed out* that there was a group at Ingleside whose occupations
and general history marked them as belonging to a somewhat more
skilful and resourceful class than the rest. Such of these as went
to the Relief Home continued to be superior and exceptional, but
far the larger number were precisely of the same human stuff as
the interminable procession that had for forty years been enter-
ing the almshouse. On this point the testimony of employes
who were in charge at Ingleside and later at the Relief Home was
nearly unanimous and quite conclusive. They agreed that three-
fourths of these refugees were "almshouse types" and would have
reached an almshouse in a few years; and that some of the others,
of rather better education and character, would have been cared
for in private charitable institutions, or by children and relatives
who because of the fire were too poor to take them. It is pointed
out that these last if they shared the poverty of their kindred would
have been far less comfortable than in the Home.
One clear distinction between the almshouse people and the
refugees is a difference of temper. During the relief period the
refugees got the idea that there were "millions for relief/' in which
they had a "just and equal share," and that as the Relief Home
was built for them they had exceptional rights in it as victims
of misfortune. They were, therefore, — the women especially, —
more exacting, lazy, and termagant than the old-time inmates.
Ingleside has been described as "one long vacation picnic" where
they had varied and abundant food, very little work and, to satisfy
their gregarious instincts, continuous gossip. Those who had be-
come accustomed to the freedom of the camps were consequently
* See Part VI, p. 333.
358
RESULTS OF WORK AT INGLESIDE
more incorrigible as well as more able-bodied than the almshouse
inmates, and were never bound by such necessary rules of labor
and discipline as existed there.
It has already been demonstrated* that so far as age, pro-
portion of the sexes, marital condition, and nativity are concerned,
at least four-fifths of the refugees at Ingleside did not differ essen-
tially from the inmates of the San Francisco almshouse. Col-
lateral information corroborates this conclusion. The rents they
had paid and the wages they had received before the fire were
rarely above those common to the unskilled laboring classes, while
the streets they had lived in were in the districts familiar to charity
visitor and settlement worker. It may be concluded upon these
facts that not more than one-sixth of the Ingleside refugees, at
most 200 persons, were of the more fortunate and resourceful sort
who but for some extraordinary disaster would never have become
dependent.
Before undertaking to estimate the work of the Rehabilita-
tion Committee in relation to the aged and infirm it is imperative
to make clear the characteristics of the different classes with which
they had to deal. The problems of the helpless, the very old, and
the very young, stand apart. But the destiny of old people can-
not, like that of children, be determined solely by the will of others,
for self-will increases rather than diminishes with the approach of
senility. So long as the old are on their feet in the world, whatever
plans are made, whatever relief is proposed, may be set at naught.
They cannot be imprisoned unless positively vicious, nor be refused
relief, because the humane standard requires that age, however
unlovely, shall be kindly treated.
There were at Ingleside yof unruly, immoral, drunken people,
who had to be ejected but who returned again and again by way
of the jail and the hospital to ask assistance. To such as these
only food and shelter could safely be given. In the Relief Home
they were relegated to ''The Last Chance,'' the name given by the
residents to the building for senile incorrigibles. Some were in
their second infancy and behaved like filthy animals, others had
senile dementia and "imagined violence like children,'' accusing
* See Tables 114-116, pp. 329-331.
t See Part VI, p. 325.
359
THE RESIDUUM OF RELIEF
the nurses of stealing from them and of starving them, yet it would
have been impossible to get them committed for insanity. Still
others who came and went from Ingleside and who went in and
out of the Relief Home as often as permitted, became insane with
rage whenever they were crossed. Angry at some trifle, they would
rave by the hour; but if locked up or deprived of some privilege
they would gradually recover self-control and be quiet for weeks
until crossed again. It would have been impossible for them to
live in a family even of their own relatives. It was all but impos-
sible to care for them in the institution until their vigor was de-
pleted enough to make them stationary.
Another class is the wanderers, in all stages of senile de-
mentia. Some were intelligent enough to apply for relief but
wandered from Ingleside, could not be found by the visitors, and
turned up later in the Relief Home. A few were promised grants
but never claimed the checks. Those in the Relief Home got lost,
could not remember where their rooms were, or now and then
climbed the barbed-wire fence and ran away. Although for their
proper care the same precautions were needed as at a prison, neither
Ingleside Model Camp nor the Relief Home could be so organized.
Every person had the legal right to come and go from the Relief
Home at will. Some of the relatively able-bodied would go out
to visit acquaintances or relatives, to beg a little, to work a little,
or even to pawn their clothes, and after drinking up the money
obtained, return exhausted or filthy to recuperate in the Home.
The same may be said of the one-third of the inmates who were
entered in the records as drinking or drunkards. Many of them
combined with intemperance some other infirmity. For our pur-
pose, however, it is immaterial whether they began to drink as a
result of physical debility or whether they were sick because of
drunkenness. In either case, it was very nearly hopeless to give
them money for rehabilitation. A number are known to have
wasted their grants in drink.
The Ingleside population affords a painful study in isolation.
Among a thousand refugees over fifty years of age, a majority
would be expected to have children or relatives and the hasty
inference would be that family care should be given to a number
that were in the Relief Home. Filial obligation is, indeed, too
360
9
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RESULTS OF WORK AT INGLESIDE
little emphasized; but frequent migration weakens the family tie.
An examination of these cases does not show many in which the
refugees were dependent because of wilful neglect by relatives.
The superintendent of the Relief Home in the year 1909 carefully
investigated all cases about which there was rumor of property
concealed or relatives able to give support. The result was that
only a very few of either were discovered. In the case of those
who had hidden savings, or an inheritance, the city compelled the
payment of $15 a month for board and lodging or the leaving of
the institution. In the case of most children who had been well-
to-do, a payment was agreed on rather than the return to rela-
tives.
A cursory glance at the Ingleside records would give the
impression that all the mutilated, semi-blind, deaf, rheumatic,
and disabled old people in the countryside; the one-legged and
one-armed men and the men with no legs at all; the partly para-
lyzed and otherwise crippled, had been gathered there, — a forlorn
company more than half of whom added to other defects the slow-
ness of old age. The problem was not merely the relief of the aged,
but the relief of the handicapped. The crippled had been for the
most part self-supporting before the fire; some were elevator men,
some were watchmen, many had sold notions or papers on the
streets or peddled goods in the country roundabout. The peddlers
on the whole did very well with their grants, perhaps because a
physical mutilation is an asset to a peddler, or because no definite
patronage had to be regained. A person with a physical defect
but accustomed to unusual or skilled occupation, as for inst ance,
the printing and distributing of bill-heads or the repairing of mu-
sical instruments, is not debarred from self-support as is the man
who belongs in the ranks of common labor.
The restoration to self-support of even the able-bodied elderly
women was quite as difficult as the rehabilitation of the handi-
capped. There was after the fire, as always, a considerable de-
mand for cheap general houseworkers. To the casual observer,
these sturdy old women at Ingleside ought to have been able at
least to earn their lodging and food. But if the observer had at-
tempted to employ one in her own household she would have found
it all but impossible to endure her personal peculiarities. More
361
THE RESIDUUM OF RELIEF
than half were born and had Hved in foreign countries, and
although to a degree Americanized, were relapsing into the
peasant habits of childhood. In cleanliness and decorurn a rising
standard had left them far behind. To uncleanly and vulgar
habits and lack of skill were added a tendency to misrepresent,
even when truth-telling would be advantageous, and to be voluble
on the subject of chronic grievances or ailments. Women of an-
other type who were both cleanly and competent could not keep
in work because they lacked initiative. Someone had to do their
thinking for them. In the Relief Home where they had kindly su-
pervision they became excellent helpers capable of earning small
wages.
The chief elements in the failure of these old people, men
and women, to recover their independence, were lack of adapta-
bility, lack of speed, and poor judgment in business matters.
Those who had maintained themselves for years, could not get
back into their narrow familiar groove nor find another into which
to fit themselves. An old man who was probably as good a cabinet
maker as any other in the city, could do barely half the work in a
day expected by employers, because of over-conscientiousness and
slowness. In a thousand ways the inefficiency due to ignorance,
lack of skill, and poor judgment, predestined the refugees of
Ingleside to failure, whether they received grants or not, and
whether the aid given was great or small.
In some cases the grants seem pitifully inadequate and it may
be questioned whether the individuals had a fair chance to re-
establish themselves. Remembering the high rents, the cost of
materials, the cost of transportation, the dearth of employment,
and the lessened consumption, larger sums than those given would
seem to have been necessary to afford a prospect of permanent
rehabilitation. But the Corporation could not anticipate panic
nor exceptional lack of employment. A large proportion of these
cases, moreover, had to be decided in August, 1906,* when the
grants were discontinued or made in small amounts. In the cases
of those who received $150 or more, there was no higher propor-
tion of success than where smaller amounts were given. It is im-
* See Part I, p. 99 ff.
362
1
RESULTS OF WORK AT INGLESIDE
possible to determine from the information we have whether
the later dependence of one-third to one-half of the Ingleside
refugees was due to the industrial situation or to the deficiencies
of the individuals themselves or to inadequate relief. One con-
tusion we may safely set down: no case of failure was due to
any one of these causes alone.
Turning from the discussion of these qualifying circumstances
to estimate the results of the relief of the aged, the infirm, and the
handicapped at Ingleside and in the Relief Home, certain things
emerge very definitely. For convenience and clearness they may
be set down categorically.
1 . The speculative character of relief after disaster, especially
in the case of persons over fifty years of age, should be recognized
and too much must not be expected from the issue. The recuper-
ative power of aged persons is relatively small under ordinary con-
ditions of life, but when they are thrown out of the groove of years,
subjected to shock and hardship, and made to begin over again,
it is infinitely smaller. For this reason the element of uncertainty
should be reduced to a minimum by the use of records, by the em-
ployment of trained investigators, and by the consultation with
camp commanders or others who have observed the applicants for
some time. During the earlier part of the relief work in San Fran-
cisco grants were made after investigation, in lump sums which in a
considerable number of cases were squandered or used unwisely.
After the Model Camp at Ingleside had been in operation for some
months and the camp commander had had time to observe the
inmates, the recommendations of visitors were often modified at
his suggestion; in some cases the money was placed in the hands
of a visitor to be expended for the applicant, and in many others
it was given in care of the Associated Charities. These later grants
lasted longer and were of more avail in relieving the recipient than
those made on less information and with fewer precautions.
2. The value of charity records as a basis for determining the
kind and amount of relief that should be given in an emergency
cannot be over-emphasized. The case records of the Associated
Charities, of the several benevolent societies of the different
nationalities, and of the Catholics and the Hebrews, and the records
of the almshouse, all should have afforded a quick means of learn-
363
THE RESIDUUM OF RELIEF
ing the former dependent or independent position of many appli-
cants. Unfortunately in San Francisco, before the fire, most of
these agencies did not sufficiently understand the value pf perma-
nent detailed records. The result was that a number of people who
previously had been more or less dependent were assisted on the
assumption that they were as likely to become self-supporting as
those who had never applied for aid. Elderly indigents rarely
resort to an alias and they might have been easily identified if
the records had been reasonably complete and had been available
in one central bureau. Since the disaster, the exchange of case
information among the principal charitable agencies is proving
invaluable in preventing duplication of relief and in developing
unity of plans for constructive charity.
3. The value of trained investigators is distinctly apparent
in a comparison of their recommendations with those of amateurs
in the Ingleside cases. The inexperienced visitor, ''taken in'' by
some plausible old person, would recommend a grant of several
hundred dollars; the committee, mindful of many applicants yet
to come and suspicious of the excessive enthusiasm of the visitor,
would give half as much carefully guarded. The trained visitor,
oh the other hand, seized upon the hopeful points as well as the
limitations of capacity and formed a balanced judgment which
the committee usually accepted in substance and which was
generally justified by the subsequent history of the applicant.
The business of an investigator is not to harden his sympathies
and expose imposture, but to become a trained and sympathetic
expert in human nature. Especially in emergency relief, therefore,
his judgment should be of the highest value.
4. The pension and the direct grant were both used in providing
for two quite different classes of the aged and infirm. A number
of feeble persons who had been decent and hardworking before the
fire but who, very evidently, could never again be self-supporting,
were given grants outright ''till they should be able to work again''
— as the committee kindly phrased it — or because they were "too
nice to go to the almshouse." A larger number of cases, where it
was impossible to determine whether the applicants were still
capable of self-support or in need of institutional care, were given
the benefit of the doubt. This was, indeed, almost compulsory
364
RESULTS OF WORK AT INGLESIDE
because institutional facilities were so meager. The intention of
these grants must be wholly commended, but the history of the
cases treated by the two methods indicates clearly that the money
given in instalments in care of a visitor or of the Associated
Charities had been much more effectively spent than that given
to the applicant in a lump sum. If it be assumed — as it should be
— that no decent person of this borderland class should be pre-
maturely relegated to an institution, the results in San Francisco
prove that a limited pension in the care of a friendly visitor is both
wise and humane. It is, moreover, economical.
5. The age of possible rehabilitation is approximately defined
by the results of these cases. The natural period of self-support is
between sixteen and sixty; but the capacity of the unskilled labor-
ing classes to keep the pace of modern industry often begins to
decline at middle age. As regards health and ability to be self-
supporting the decade between fifty and sixty is critical; and the
number of those between sixty and seventy who, after such a dis-
ruption of their lives as that produced by the earthquake and fire,
are able to re-establish themselves even with assistance, will be
very small. To conserve the common self-respect and society's
humane instincts, as many as possible should be encouraged to
try.
6. The lack of provision for certain classes in San Francisco
was well known to charity workers before the fire, but it became a
far more serious matter owing to the sudden increase and shifting
of these classes of dependents. There were many people set down
as *' convalescents'' at Ingleside who remained permanently in
need of institutional care. The hospitals continued to discharge, at
the earliest possible moment because of overcrowding, numbers of
half-well people who had no homes and little or no resources.
Even those who went back to poor homes frequently did not re-
cover fully for want of proper care during the convalescent period.
Those without homes must go to the Relief Home, and the in-
crease of this class of inmates became a serious tax on the in-
stitution. The medical attention that must be given to the
inmates of the Relief Home is greater than had to be given in
the old almshouse. The increase in the number of the incurables,
due in some measure to the shock and hardships of 1906, makes
365
THE RESIDUUM OF RELIEF
great demands upon the nursing staff. Although the number ol
admissions per thousand of the population is now no greater thanJ
before the disaster, the permanent burden of refugees will remaini!
proportionately great for some years to come. Certain special
classes — the convalescent, the incurable, the advanced tubercular,
the chronic alcoholic, have never been adequately provided for in
San Francisco. The transition from emergency to permanent pro-
vision affords the opportunity for developing the best methods
and differentiating the kinds of charitable care.
I
366
SOME LESSONS OF THE RELIEF
SURVEY
SOME LESSONS OF THE SURVEY
Part I. Organization and The Emergency Period
Part II. Rehabilitation .
Part III. Business Rehabilitation
Part IV. Housing Rehabilitation
Part V. After-Care.
Part VI. The Aged and Infirm
PAGE
369
370
371
371
372
372
t'
SOME LESSONS OF THE RELIEF SURVEY
W
HAT then are some of the lessons to be learned from
this review of the San Francisco relief work that may
be applied in other great disasters?
Part I. Organization and the Emergency Period
We see among other things:
1. The importance of postponing the appointment of sub-
committees until a strong central committee has been able to de-
termine general policies and methods of procedure.
2. The wisdom of reducing the bread line and the camp
population as quickly as possible after the disaster so that the relief
resources may be conserved to meet the primary need of rehabili-
tation.
3. The value of utilizing for emergency administration a
body so highly organized and so efficient as the United States
Army, to take charge of camps, and to bring to points of distribu-
tion the supplies required for those in need of food and clothing.
4. The necessity of utilizing the centers of emergency distri-
bution for the later rehabilitation work of district committees and
corps of visitors.
5. The need of establishing a central bureau of information
to serve from the beginning of the relief work as a clearing house,
to prevent confusion and waste through duplication of effort.
6. The importance of legal incorporation for any relief
organization that has to deal with so large a disaster.
7. The importance of a strict audit of all relief in cash sent
to a relief organization. The impossibility of an equally strict
accounting for relief in kind, because of the many leaks and the
difficulties attendant upon hurried distribution.
8. The desirability that contributions, especially those in kind,
shall be sent without restrictions, as only the local organization is
able to measure relative needs at different periods of the work.
24 369
LESSONS OF THE RELIEF SURVEY
9. The recognition of the American National Red Cross,
with its permanent organization, its governmental status, and its
direct accountability to Congress for all expenditures, as, the proper
national agency through which relief funds for great disasters
should be collected and administered; thus securing unity of
effort, certainty of policy, and a center about which all local relief
agencies may rally.
Part II. Rehabilitation
We have to recognize:
1. The need, in at least the early stages of rehabilitation, of
the district system, in order to facilitate application and investi-
gation and to insure prompt committee action upon calls for
assistance.
2. The need of a bureau of special relief from beginning to
end of the rehabilitation work in order to meet the emergent and
minor requirements of families and individuals without having to
use the necessarily complicated slow-moving machinery of the
rehabilitation organization itself.
3. The fact that even in a community where the residences
of over half of the population have changed and the business sec-
tion has been completely destroyed, it is possible to make indi-
vidual investigations of family wants such as will generally mean
the adding of the judgment of one outsider at least to that of the
family.
We have to recognize further:
4. That the period of time elapsing between applications and
grants will not be greatly altered if, after the early stages of re-
habilitation, a centralized system is substituted for a district
system.
5. That a flexible scheme of rehabilitation is furthered when
no rigid limit is fixed for an individual grant and deliberation is
required in each case where a grant of large amount is made.
6. That though rehabilitation may proceed generally along
the line of fortifying each family in one particular direction, as
for instance, in its business relations or housing accommodations,
it will always be necessary to provide a considerable proportion
of the families with subsidiary grants for other purposes.
370
LESSONS OF THE RELIEF SURVEY
7. That any centralized system which attempts to fix
arbitrarily the different types of cases with which different com-
mittees shall deal will create a certain amount of confusion. If a
centralized system seem desirable, the question is whether the
committees in the central office should not have authority to con-
sider cases according to geographical divisions rather than according
to typical classes of applicants.
Part III. Business Rehabilitation
We learn, and the fact deserves to stand apart:
That when grants are made for the re-establishment in busi-
ness of persons of little ability or experience, close supervision of
plans and expenditures by agents of the relief committee is neces-
sary to secure the best results.
Part IV. Housing Rehabilitation
We have to recognize:
1 . That to provide but one form of housing rehabilitation is
far from satisfactory.
2. That in a general way the three forms provided in San
Francisco met the needs of the three general classes to be reached.
(a) With reference to the camp cottages it is too soon to say
how successful the experiment will ultimately be of giving cottages
for removal to other sites to those who may be classed as compar-
atively weak in resourcefulness and character. It is certain,
however, that the permanent close grouping of the cottages in
great numbers on open lots is a danger to be guarded against.
(b) With reference to the grant and loan houses, though
it seems that in general the houses built by applicants were better
than those built by the housing committee for the applicants, it
by no means follows that direct grants of money if commonly-
adopted would always bring good results. Individual capabilities
must be one determining factor. As to grants and loans, it may
be said that a double standard is not practicable. A grant on one
house and a loan on its neighbor lead to dissatisfaction and often
failure on the part of the borrower to meet his debt.
3. That because of the highly specialized business ability
371
•
LESSONS OF THE RELIEF SURVEY
required, a separate department of the relief organization should
have charge of all building and details of building.
4. That decisions upon housing applications and dealings
with housing applicants should be centered in a rehabilitation
department.
Part V. After-Care
We are brought to see that:
1 . The applications made to an emergency relief organization
will not include all who, as a result of the disaster, will eventually
be obliged to seek succor. It is demonstrated that some perma-
nent agency must be prepared to help those who, fighting heroically
to the very end of their resources, give up after the temporary
relief organization has discontinued active work.
2. The number of sufferers who need after-care may be
increased by families who have been attracted to the city by
illusive expectations of work.
3. The problems of family relief after a great disaster are
essentially those requiring the personal care and attention which
are characteristic of the work of an associated charities under
normal conditions. The number of families that have come
to the San Francisco Associated Charities in the years since the
Corporation turned over the relief work to it, has been far larger
than before the fire. It follows that for some years after so tre-
mendous a disaster there should be an increase in the force of
trained workers proportionate to the increase in the applications
for rehabilitation. The community must be prepared to pay the
additional cost.
4. Grants of relief, when they must be given regularly and
for a considerable period (in the form that is often described as
pensions), should be sufficiently large to assure reasonable stand-
ards of living.
Part VI. The Aged and Infirm
We see finally that:
1. A great disaster increases especially the number of the
aged and infirm who become public charges.
2. One of the tasks of delicate readjustment is to remove
from the almshouse the aged men and women who, merely through
372
LESSONS OF THE RELIEF SURVEY
the rough chance of a great catastrophe, are thrown with those
whose Hfelong habits and disabiHties lead to the almshouse.
3. A critical test of the quality of a community is how far
the responsibility for the aged, infirm, and handicapped who, save
for the disaster, would never have become dependent upon public
relief, is resumed by relatives, friends, or others who in the ordi-
nary course of events would have cared for them; how completely
the standard of private and family care for them shall be as
though the disaster had never occurred.
APPENDIX I
DOCUMENTS AND ORDERS
Appendix I
DOCUMENTS AND ORDERS
PAGE
1. List of Members Finance Committee of Relief and Red
Cross Funds and Its Permanent Committees . 377
2. General Orders, No. 18 379
3. Extracts from The Army in the San Francisco Disaster.
By Brigadier General C. A. Devol .... 383
4. Letter from General Greely to James D. Phelan . 387
5. Plan of the Executive Commission 391
6. Original Housing Plan 394
7. The Incorporation of the Funds 398
8. Appointment of Board of Trustees Relief and Red Cross
Funds, February, 1909 401
9. List of Official Camps 404
10. Grants to Charitable Organizations 405
A. By Denominations and Nature of Work . . . 405
B. By Denominations 405
11. Rehabilitation Committee: Details of Administration . 406
I. Directions given by the Associated Charities 406
IL Monthly budgets 408
III. Method of work beginning July 7, 1906, in
connection with the district [section] organi-
zation 408
IV. The centralized system 412
V. Consideration of cases out of turn . . .412
VI. A lesson learned regarding records . . .413
VII. Loose ends 415
VIII. Bookkeeping and registration notes . . .415
12. General Plan of Housing Committee 417
13. Statistics from Associated Charities 419
A. Receipts of San Francisco Associated Charities from
all sources, by months, from June, 1907, to Sep-
tember, 1912, inclusive 419
B. Disbursements of San Francisco Associated Charities
for relief and for administration, by months, from
June, 1907, to September, 1912, inclusive . . 419
w
APPENDIX I
1
LIST OF MEMBERS FINANCE COMMITTEE OF RELIEF AND
RED CROSS FUNDS AND ITS PERMANENT
COMMITTEES
FINANCE COMMITTEE
James D. Phelan, Chairman
J. Downey Harvey, Secretary
Rufus P. Jennings (elected Secretary in the beginning but resigned)
James L. Flood (resigned July i6)
Thomas Magee
M. H. de Young
W. F. Herrin
Herbert E. Law
William Babcock (resigned June 29)
I. W. Hellman, Jr. (appointed in place of I. W. Hellman)
Rudolph Spreckels (appointed in place of Claus Spreckels)
Charles Sutro, Jr.
Allan Pollok (appointed April 21)
Garret W. McEnerney, elected to membership April 24th
Frank G. Drum, elected to membership April 24th
Joseph S. Tobin, elected to membership April 24th in place of R. J. Tobin
Elected April 24 to represent the California Branch of the Red
Cross :
W. W. Morrow
John F. Merrill
Horace Davis
Appointed later:
F. S. Stratton, appointed April 30
F. W. Dohrmann, appointed June 29 on nomination of California Red
Cross to succeed John F. Merrill, resigned.
Charles S. Wheeler, appointed July 13 to succeed William Babcock,
resigned.
NOTE: At the meeting of April 30 Dr. E. E. Baker of Oakland was ap-
pointed to Finance Committee to represent Governor Pardee, at the latter's request.
Later in the same meeting it was arranged that, since Dr. Baker's duties prevented
him from attending meetings, he should be represented on the Finance Committee
by F. S. Stratton. Mr. Stratton was from that date on a member of the Finance
Committee, representing both the Governor and the Oakland Relief Committee.
377
APPENDICES
SUB-COMMITTEES OF FINANCE COMMITTEE
Committee of Supervision (appointed April 22)
Allan Pollok, Chairman
F. W. Van Sicklen L. P. Lowe
A. Haas W. L. Harvey
Wm. ClufT D. Samuels
J. Solomon R. D. McElroy
Nathan Bibo Edward Heller
R. B. Hale W. F. Williamson
Purchasing Committee (also called Purchasing Agents, appointed April 26)
Allan Pollok
Edward T. Devine
Auditing Committee (appointed May 7)
M. H. de Young, Chairman
Joseph S. Tobin
Frank G. Drum
Committee on Hospitals (appointed May 9)
Edward T. Devine, Chairman
J. Downey Harvey
Allan Pollok
Rehabilitation Committee (authorized May 5, appointed June 29)
Edward T. Devine, Chairman (succeeded Aug. 6 by Mr.
Dohrmann).
Rev. D. O. Crowley, representing Archbishop Riordan
Rev. J. A. Emery, representing Bishop Nichols
Rabbi Jacob Voorsanger
O. K. Cushing (Treasurer)
F. W. Dohrmann (Chairman from Aug. 6 on)
Dr. John Gallwey
Later appointments made by the Executive Committee were:
Ernest P. Bicknell, appointed July 31 to succeed Dr. Devine
C. F. Leege, appointed July 31 alternate for Mr. Dohrmann and
on Nov. 2, member, to succeed Mr. Bicknell
Abraham Haas, appointed Nov. 2 to succeed Rabbi Voorsanger
Frank Miller, appointed Nov. 9 to serve during Mr. Dohrmann's
absence. On Nov. 2 Mr. Dohrmann was granted leave of
absence for 90 days and Mr. Cushing was appointed Acting
Chairman in his place
EXECUTIVE COMMISSION (OFFICIAL TERM OF OFFICE JULY I TO
AUGUST I, 1906)
Edward T. Devine, Chairman (appointed by the American National
Red Cross)
Edward F. Moran (appointed by the mayor)
George H. Pippy (appointed by the Finance Committee)
378
^i
GENERAL ORDERS, NO. 1 8
GENERAL ORDERS, NO. i8
HEADQUARTERS PACIFIC DIVISION,
San Francisco, Gal., April 2g, igo6,
I. In order to economically and efficiently perform the non-
military duties of distributing relief supplies, the Gity of San Francisco
is hereby divided into seven civil sections, as described in Paragraph XIV.
II. The following named officers are charged, generally, with
administrative duties, as follows:
1. Major Lea Febiger, Inspector General; in general charge of
the organization of relief stations, of their personnel, methods of ad-
ministration and requisitions. Headquarters: Hamilton School Building,
on Geary Street near Scott Street.
2. Major G. A. Devol, Depot Quartermaster; with all questions
of transportation, storage, and allied duties. Headquarters: Presidio
Wharf.
3. Major G. R. Krauthoff, Depot Gommissary, with the com-
missary duties in connection with providing food supplies and the filling
of requisitions approved by Major Febiger, Dr. Edward T. Devine,
Special Representative of the National Red Cross, or other duly authorized
agents or officials. Headquarters: Folsom Street Wharf.
4. An officer of the Army, not yet selected; with supplies other
than food, and the filling of requisitions for such supplies after approval
by Major Febiger, Dr. Devine, or other duly authorized official. Pending
his selection these duties will be performed by Major Devol. Head-
quarters: Presidio Wharf.
5. Lieutenant Golonel G. H. Torney, M. D., U. S. A., has been
placed in charge of all sanitary work. He is charged with the proper
organization of sanitation, the formulation of regulations to carry out the
proper measures of safety against any danger from unsanitary conditions,
co-operating with the Health Commission of San Francisco.
6. Colonel W. H. Heuer, Corps of Engineers, is charged with all
duties relating to engineering problems connected with the work in hand
and in this connection will consult freely with the civil authorities in
regard to the water supply, sanitation and all other matters in which
engineering skill is required.
III. As far as practicable, all applications for relief, (whether
for food, clothing, tentage or bedding) will be made direct to, and the
administrative business connected therewith transacted directly with, the
officers above named. This will facilitate relief and centralize data and
action relative thereto. The officers named will, as far as possible,
transact their business with each other and with outside applicants
direct, that is, without reference to Division Headquarters, the object
being to insure an economical, efficient and prompt service for the dis-
tressed and destitute.
IV. I. As soon as practicable an officer of the Army, with assist-
ants, will be assigned to each of the seven sections enumerated, with
379
APPENDICES
the view of co-ordinating the work, and introducing at the earliest moment
such methods as will prevent dishonesty or wastage, eliminate the un-
worthy and impostors, and insure economical administration.
2. Wherever an officer of the Army is not available ^ responsible
civih'an of the locality, designated by Dr. Devine, will be placed in im-
mediate charge of each relief station, and assisted in organizing a proper
personnel to carry on the work.
3. As soon as possible, rigid daily inspections will be made of
every relief station, and local regulations introduced with the view of
correcting abuses, neglects or mistakes. Relief stations will be reduced
in number and personnel limited to the smallest possible number consistent
with pressing demands.
4. The officer or person placed in immediate charge of each relief
station will be carefully instructed by the officer in charge of the civil
section to make his requests in duplicate, and those for food supplies must
be separate and distinct from those for clothing, bedding, tentage, etc.,
because they must be filled from different supply departments. All
requests must be in duplicate, and submitted through the officer in
charge of the civil section to Major Febiger, at the Hamilton School
Building, on Geary Street near Scott. In case of immediate need the
requisition may be taken direct to Major Febiger.
V. 1 1 is expected and desired that commanders of military districts
in San Francisco, charged with guarding of public buildings and other
military duties, shall extend advice and, as far as practicable, needful
assistance in the interests of the non-military duties of relief.
VI. Charges of wastage, deception, theft and improper appropria-
tion of relief supplies have been freely made, and it is claimed that the
food supply in some cases is too lavish in quantity, and is being issued
without suitable discrimination. The period of extreme distress for food
has passed, and at the earliest possible moment the issue of rations must
be confined to helpless women and children, and refused to adult males,
unless they are sick or in feeble condition.
VII. For the information of Division Headquarters, a system of
inspection will be established through the Inspector General's Depart-
ment, in order that the inspectors may be facilitated as much as possible
in gaining information giving a clear idea as to how the work is going on.
All officers connected with the distribution of supplies will keep such
memorandum records, aside from their regular records, as will enable
them to give to the inspectors a summary of the work being done, the
method pursued, and in general such information and recommendation
as they may have for improvements and economy.
VIII. The following permanent relief ration is fixed, the amount
being stated in allowance per ration or per 100 rations:
380
'^'
i'^.
GENERAL ORDERS, NO. l8
Meat Components.
10 oz. canned meat or salt meat or
canned fish, or
14 oz. fresh meat to the ration.
Bread Components.
14 oz. fresh bread or 10 oz. hard
bread, or crackers or
12 oz. flour to the ration.
Coffee and Tea.
I lb. coffee to 1 5 rations or
I 1-2 lbs. tea to 100 rations.
Vegetable Components.
I 1-2 oz. beans, peas, rice or hominy,
to the ration.
3-4 lb. fresh vegetables (80 per
cent, potatoes, 20 per cent,
onions) to the ration.
Dried Fruit Component.
1 oz. dried fruit to the ration.
Miscellaneous.
15 lbs. sugar to 100 rations.
3 quarts vinegar (or pickles) to 100
rations.
2 lbs. salt to 100 rations.
4 oz. pepper to 100 rations.
4 lbs. soap to 100 rations.
I 1-2 lbs. candles to 100 rations.
It is recognized that exact conformity to articles herein mentioned
is at present impracticable. However, the ration, commencing at noon,
Tuesday, May i, 1906, will be confined to the articles herein named, or
proper substitutes equivalent thereto.
IX. After May i , 1 906, no rations beyond the articles above named,
or their substitutes, will be issued from any relief station or district
under military control, except on the prescription or order of a reputable
physician or other competent authority. Issues of luxuries, or articles
of special diet must be confined to infants or invalids. Any other course
will speedily exhaust the very limited means of subsistence now at the
disposal of the Army and of the Finance Committee of Relief and Red
Cross Funds.
X. At the earliest practicable moment, each of the four officers
charged with the supervision of the work of distribution of supplies will
report approximate data from which the Division Commander can
determine.
A. The amount of United States supplies actually received
to date by the Army and the amount in transit.
B. The total amount of all kinds of supplies (army relief and
other relief) actually received to date by the Army.
C. The total amounts issued daily to stations distributing
food, clothing, tentage, etc., under Army control.
D. Same for those not under army control in San Francisco.
E. Amounts issued to towns outside of San Francisco.
While present reports through lack of sufficient force and super-
vision, cannot be exact, it is expected that they will as soon as possible
be reduced to the methods generally in vogue in the Army.
XI. Officers in charge of departments will submit a report as soon
as conditions permit, of the disbursements made, or indebtedness con-
tracted in carrying out the relief work by the Army. They will im-
mediately submit requisitions for necessary funds, giving the period which
they are expected to cover, such requisitions to be accompanied by notes
explaining the reason and necessity for such funds.
381
APPENDICES
XII. Officers charged with these duties will be expected to make
such daily record as to enable them to make weekly, or when other-
wise called upon, a brief report of the work done, and when the civil
authorities resume the work to present a complete report covering their
entire operations.
XIII. Rigid economy is enjoined on every officer of the army
engaged in relief work. No indebtedness will be contracted without the
authority of one of the officers named in this order or the department or
division commanders. It is desired and directed that any unusual and
abnormal expense be reported verbally or in writing to the Division
Commander so that authority covering expenditures, apart from the
necessary ones of the employees, material and ordinary routine, may be
specifically authorized.
XIV. Relief Sections*
ist Section wherein all official relief stations are numbered between
I and loo, is bounded as follows: On the south by Fulton street, on the
east by Devisadero street, on the north and west by San Francisco Bay,
and Pacific Ocean, including Presidio Reservation, but not including
Fort Miley reservation.
2nd Section wherein all official relief stations are numbered between
loi and 200 is bounded as follows: On the north by Fulton street, on the
east by Devisadero street and Castro street, on the south by i8th and L
streets, on the west by the Pacific Ocean.
3rd Section wherein all official relief stations are numbered between
201 and 300, is bounded as follows: On the north and east by San Francisco
Bay, on the south by Union street, on the west by Devisadero street.
4th Section wherein all official relief stations are numbered between
301 and 400, is bounded as follows: On the north by Union street on the
east by the Bay, on the south by Market street, on the west by Devisadero
and Castro streets.
5th Section wherein all official relief stations are numbered between
401 and 500, is bounded as follows: On the north by Market street, on the
east by the Bay, on the south by i8th street, on the west by Castro street.
6th Section wherein all official relief stations are numbered between
501 and 600, is bounded as follows: On the north by i8th street, on the
east by the Bay, on the south by the County Line, on the west by the
Southern Pacific Railroad.
7th Section wherein all official relief stations are numbered between
601 and 700, is bounded as follows: On the north by L and i8th street,
on the east by the Southern Pacific Railroad, on the south by the County
Line, on the west by the ocean.
By Command of Major General Greely:
S. P. JOCELYN,
Official: Colonel, General Staff, Chief of Staff,
W. G. HAAN,
Captain, General Staff, Military Secretary.
* In General Circular, No. i. May i, 1906, Section i is defined as the sec-
tion in which relief stations are numbered between i and 100; Section 2, between
200 and 300, and so on. This numbering was used instead of that of General
Orders No. 18.
382
THE ARMY IN THE DISASTER
THE ARMY IN THE SAN FRANCISCO DISASTER*
By Brigadier General C. A. Devol
At 745 on the morning of the disaster Companies C and D,
Engineer Corps, arrived from Fort Mason and were reported to the
Mayor and Chief of Police. They were directed by the former to guard
the banking district and send patrols along Market Street to prevent
looting. At 8:00 a. m., the Presidio garrison, consisting of the loth,
29th, 38th, 66th, 67th, 70th, and 105th Companies of Coast Artillery;
Troops I and K, 14th Cavalry; and the ist, 9th and 24th Batteries of
Field Artillery, began to arrive.
The Headquarters and ist Battalion 22d Infantry, were brought
form Fort McDowell by boat, arriving at 10:00 a. m., and were held for
a time in reserve at OTarrell Street. They were later utilized as patrols
and as an assistance to the fire department. The Fort Miley troops, the
25th and 64th Companies Coast Artillery, had a longer march and did
not arrive until 1 1 130 a. m.
Troops subsequently arrived in the city as follows:
April 19, Companies E and G, 22d Infantry, from Alcatraz Island:
Companies K and M, 22d Infantry, from the depot of recruits and casuals,
and the 32d, 6 ist and 68th Companies Coast Artillery, from Fort Baker;
April 21. Headquarters and two battalions 20th Infantry, from
Presidio of Monterey;
April 22. Headquarters and ten companies 14th Infantry, from
Vancouver Barracks;
April 23. The 17th and i8th Batteries Field Artillery from Van-
couver Barracks.
These troops were all stationed in the Pacific Division and were
ordered to San Francisco by the Division Commander. Troops arriving
later by orders from the War Department will be enumerated later.
It is believed the prompt appearance of the United States troops on the
streets of the city was an object lesson to the minds of the evil-disposed,
reminding them that the law of the land still existed with ready and
powerful means at hand to enforce it, and was of incalculable moral and
material benefit to the city.
General Funston moved into the Commanding General's quarters
at Fort Mason, establishing both Division and Department Headquarters
* Extracts from article printed in the Journal of the United States Infantry
Association, Vol. IV, No. i, pp. 59-87-
383
APPENDICES
at that point, and the Signal Corps immediately began to stretch wires
for telegraph communication to various points of importance in the
city.
The entire force in the city finally consisted of i Major-General,
I Brigadier-General, the ist and 14th Regiments of Cavalry, the loth,
25th, 27th, 29th, 32d, 38th, 6oth, 6ist, 64th, 65th, 66th, 67th, 68th, 70th,
and 105th Companies Coast Artillery; the ist, 9th and 24th Batteries
Field Artillery; the i ith Battalion Field Artillery, consisting of the 17th
and i8th Mountain Batteries; the loth, iith, 14th, 20th and 22d Regi-
ments of Infantry; Companies C and D, Corps of Engineers; Companies
A and B, Hospital Corps; Companies A, E and H, Signal Corps, and
168 staff, detailed and retired officers, a grand total of 6000 men and
officers. To these men were added during the earlier days a large force
of the navy, a battalion of marines, and a force of naval apprentices,
also the force of the National Guard, State of California.
Officers of the Quartermaster's Department were stationed at
Oakland Pier, Point Richmond, the Santa Fe freight yard. Entries Nos.
I, 2, 3, and 4, Quartermaster Depots Nos. i, 2, 3, and 4. Officers of the
Subsistence Department were stationed at the Food Depots, Nos. i, 2,
and 3. The various Quartermaster and Commissary Depots were con-
nected by wire with the office of the Depot Quartermaster, which had
been established in the Quartermaster Warehouse at the Presjdio, and
the Commissary Depots connected with the office of the Depot
Commissary, which was established at Folsom street dock. Every
arriving car was checked up across the bay, either at Oakland Pier or
Point Richmond. Every lighter leaving for any of the entries was
reported by wire to the Depot Quartermaster with the car numbers and
what entry consigned to. The Depot Quartermaster could thus control
the supply and balance the arrivals at the different entries, wiring orders
to deliver more or less at the different points as occasion demanded.
A dispatch boat was put in service, making two trips daily to Oakland
Pier. At each trip, yard car slips giving complete list of cars with numbers
and contents were forwarded to the main office. These were abstracted
as fast as they came in and from this abstract acknowledgment of arrival
was made to all donating parties in the different parts of the country.
This branch of the work was most important, as Relief Committees in
the various cities and towns were always desirous of obtaining information
which would enable them to inform the people of their community that
the stores had arrived in San Francisco and had reached the suffering
people. The record also enabled satisfactory answers to be given to the
hundreds of inquiries by wire and mail from all over the country on this
384
THE ARMY IN THE DISASTER
subject. Every car load was finally accounted for and inquiries answered
locating stores, except in some cases of individual packages.
The Quartermaster-General had been asked by wire to have the
number of every car of military supplies reported to San Francisco by
wire as soon as it was dispatched. These instructions were promptly
given, and this advance information aided very greatly in preventing
confusion.
The stores for the Presidio were delivered by river steamers
acting as lighters from cars at Oakland Pier. At Entry No. 2, or the
three docks above described, deliveries were from river steamers acting
as lighters and also from cars delivered alongside of the docks by floats.
Entry No. 3 was by cars sent across the bay on floats and delivered at
the 3d and Townsend Railroad yard, which fortunately was not destroyed
by fire. The small amount of freight that arrived from the south also
came into this depot. Entry No. 4 was from the Santa Fe Railroad by float
to the Spear and Harrison freight depot. The steamships delivered at
the three docks, 8, 10, and 12. It will thus be seen that there were four
avenues through which supplies could reach the city simultaneously, and
by night as well as by day.
Forty-five officers were detailed on arrival to take charge of
various stations throughout the city. Fifteen were ultimately detailed
as assistants to the Depot Quartermaster, and placed in charge of the
various entries and depots, as above stated. As the various stations were
established in all administrative departments, the Signal Corps con-
nected up the stations by wire with the main offices and Department
Headquarters. Operators were placed at all instruments and communi-
cations by day and night established. During the first three days issues
were made from the quarter-master supplies in store at the four depot
warehouses at the Presidio, which amounted to 3,000 tents, 13,000
ponchos, 58,000 shoes, 24,000 shirts and other articles necessary to relieve
immediate suffering. This issue was made in the face of necessity with-
out any authority, but when reported was promptly approved by the
Secretary of War.
The Finance Committee asked that the army take over all trans-
portation in the city for all purposes for betterment of management in
systematizing under one head. The Division Commander directed the
Depot Quartermaster to take it over, and Captain Peter Murray, Quar-
termaster, 8th Infantry, was directed to report to him for that purpose.
An office for this part ofthe transportation was established at Hamilton
School, and in two days the number of hired teams for this part of the
work was cut down from 557 to 109.
25 385
APPENDICES
The population of San Francisco had spread over the surrounding
country, refugees in large numbers going to San Jose, Oakland, BerkeleVr
Alameda and Sausalito, and naturally the people in these outlying towns
demanded their proportionate share of relief. Officers were sent to the
various interested sections and remained in charge, the system being
similar to San Francisco. The distribution, however, of supplies over
this enlarged territory added considerably to the burden which relief
workers were already carrying.
The gradual evolution of a completed camp system had kept pace
from day to day with the growth of other relief work. As before stated,
there were on hand at the Depot Quartermaster's storehouse for im-
mediate issue some 3,000 tents (common), and 12,000 shelter tents.
This canvas placed indiscriminately wherever ground was available
initiated what grew into a very complete system of camps. By the
prompt action of the War Department, tentage had been shipped by
express from different depots in the United States and soon became
available, there being finally issued some 25,000 tents, many of which
were conical, and wall tents of large capacity.
As fast as camps were established the outlying and scattered
tents in that vicinity were called in and placed systematically as a part
of the camp. Each camp was known by number and each tent was
known by number.
On May 29, General Orders were issued, defining the camps, the
total at that time being twenty-one, eighteen of which were in San Fran-
cisco and the other three in outlying cities. The sanitary arrangements
varied in regard to the different conditions. Eighteen camps were
variously scattered through Golden Gate Park, the Presidio Military
Reservation, what is known as Harbor View Flat, Fort Mason Military
Reservation, and the various other parts of the city. No restrictions
were placed on the inmates of these camps save those required by decency,
order, and cleanliness. If the occupants persistently refused to obey
the rules to meet the above requirements they were obliged to forego the
benefits of government canvas and relief stores.
386
m^
LETTER FROM GENERAL GREELY
LETTER FROM GENERAL GREELY TO JAMES D. PHELAN
HEADQUARTERS PACIFIC DIVISION
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA
June 15, 1906.
Mr. James D. Phelan, Chairman,
Finance Committee of Relief and Red Cross Funds,
Hamilton School, City.
Sir: —
1. I understand from the morning papers that a telegram signed by you
and Mayor Schmitz, has asked the retention of the Army on duty in
San Francisco for ninety days from July ist.
2. I have seen Mayor Schmitz this morning and he concurs with me
in the belief that the relief of the Army on July i st is in the public interests,
and after consideration of the opinions expressed by me in this letter, I
trust that the Finance Committee will agree in the wisdom of withdrawing
their request.
3. The spirit of American institutions is obviously adverse to the quar-
tering of troops in times of peace in large cities, which is in this case sup-
plemented by reasons of a practical and economic character. From all
sources, there is a consensus of opinion that the service of the Army for
relief purposes in San Francisco was of great benefit to the city of San
Francisco and the State of California. That July ist marks the date on
which federal troops should cease to guard stores, control camps, ad-
minister order and provide sanitation for civilians quartered on city
grounds or private property, is my conviction.
4. Your attention is called to the fact that there are classes of worthy
citizens who in considerable numbers are now deprived of their ordinary
means of gaining a livelihood, either by lack of public funds or from
destruction of private business. Among these may be mentioned fire-
men, policemen, school teachers and physicians.
5. Your attention is particularly called to the fact that a certain number
of such persons could be given temporary employment by the Red Cross
organization if the present guards and camp administrations of the Army
were withdrawn. In short, the oificers and men of the Army are now
performing duties and rendering services which should be performed
and rendered by the destitute men in San Francisco. I submit to your
Committee whether it is advisable to favor a policy which thus dis-
criminates against civilian labor because the work of the Army is done
without expense to the Red Cross Funds.
6. If the Red Cross was not amply supplied with funds, there might
exist a necessity for free army labor but such is not the case. The rnorning
paper reports that Mr. Bartnett is favoring the immediate distribution
of the greater part of six million dollars now in the possession of the
Committee.
7. Of all the methods of relief that which mpst commends itself to me
from a careful consideration of this question, is that advanced by Dr.
387
APPENDICES
E. T. Devine, and known under the general term of rehabilitation. There
is no better way of rehabilitating a man than by allowing him to earn
a living salary, in this case it can be conjoined with the car^ and relief
of the destitutes who are rapidly being reduced in number.
8. it has been unofficially advanced that the withdrawal of the Army
would involve conditions of disorder and that sanitary conditions would
not be as carefully observed as under strict military methods. It is
believed that the rigidly enforced methods of the Army cannot be equalled
by ordinary civilian control and it is also acknowledged that the suggestion
of a soldier with a gun is more potent in enforcing order that the directions
of a policeman with a club.
9. On the question of order and sanitation, experience has shown that
the people of San Francisco are self-respecting and desirous of conforming
to proper methods of life as regards the three important points of order,
decency and cleanliness. That this is a fact and not an opinion, is shown
by the conditions attending the 43,000 people now under canvas in the
City of San Francisco. Of this number 18,000 are under military super-
vision, while 25,000 are scattered elsewhere throughout the city. About
10,000 of these people have been continually under military supervision
and 8,000 more have lately been taken in charge. It might be thought
the 25,000 other people supplemented by the 8,000 lately transferred,
would in the past two months have become centers of infectious diseases
or the centers of disorder and violence, which has not been the case as
infectious diseases have been sporadic and the conditions of order have
been such that as far as I know no murder has been committed and only
one or two assaults have been made.
10. It appears to me that the time has arrived when some definite
plan of organization should be formulated. At present no one connected
with the Red Cross has any power to act, not even Dr. Devine, save as
to certain expenditures for rehabilitation which in limited amounts have
been appropriated.
M. To illustrate a practical method of handling this question, a definite
line of organization is herewith suggested. It is worse than useless to
expect that the interests of the tens of thousands of people and sums of
money running into the millions can be economically and efficiently
administered by men giving such part of their time as remains after
transacting their own business, to the questions of relief. There must
be not only a paid personnel but to obtain men of character, efficiency
and skill, they must be well compensated.
12. The Finance Committee should allow no money to be spent except
on estimates which should be submitted monthly in advance so that
they may be properly discussed by the Finance Committee before paying
the money. Emergencies can be met by allowing a small sum for each
particular department for contingent expenses. It is believed that the
duties of the Finance Committee should be confined to questions of policy
and considering of estimates and authorizing them formally.
1 3. The executive work should be done by three men who should receive
a salary of not less than $5,000 per year. One member should be a
special representative of the Red Cross and as Dr. Devine would probably
not remain many months and his services are needed as an advisory to
388
LETTER FROM GENERAL GREELY
the Finance Committee, it is suggested that some one be named by Dr.
Devine if he will not serve himself. The second member should be
named by the Mayor of San Francisco and the third should be selected
by the Finance Committee from individuals familiar with the industrial,
commercial and business interests of San Francisco. This committee
should divide the duties between themselves.
14. Supplies should be centralized and should be in charge of a carefully
selected man to receive $10.00 per day, with an assistant who should
receive $5.00 per day. This official should under no circumstances have
anything to do with the purchase of supplies but only be responsible for
their receipt, care, and issue.
15. Each camp should be placed under a very carefully selected officer
of the Fire or Police Department who is on furlough; preferably to be
Captains and Lieutenants of the Fire Department and Captains, Lieu-
tenants and Sergeants of the Police Department, and should be paid
according to the size and importance of the camp. The familiarity of
these men with the people of San Francisco and their habits of authority
should enable them to properly supervise these camps, which naturally
would be under the general direction of one of the three executive miembers
of the committee. The present surgeons should be replaced by doctors
of executive ability and standing of which it is understood that there
are many without practice. There should be about one doctor to each
seven hundred persons and their pay should be from $3.50 to $5.00 per
day.
16. At places where guards are necessary, civilian watchmen, drawn
largely from furloughed policemen and firemen and male school teachers,
should be placed in charge. It might be added that wherever opportunity
for women's work offers, i\ should be given to school teachers of standing
now on furlough.
17. All expenses of sanitation and policing of these camps should be at
the expense of the Red Cross. While they would be naturally subjected
to inspection from time to time by the sanitary officers of the city yet
such officers would, it is believed, not interfere unduly with the arrange-
ments in these camps. There should be special police officers on duty
at night at the larger camps, these also to be paid employees.
18. In short, an organized, well selected and properly paid personnel
is indispensable to the successful handling of the relief work.
19. Supplementary to the executive committee, there should be an
agent charged with the rehabilitation work, acting under the special
direction of Dr. Devine or his successor. The policy regarding reha-
bilitation should be liberal and a very considerable sum should be set
aside therefor subject to distribution as Dr. Devine or his successor
might direct.
20. Briefly this letter looks to action and organization, which cannot
progress satisfactorily while the Army is conducting independently a part
of this work: There are large sums of money on hand and the public
naturally has a right to demand results.
21. Valuable time is being lost as regards questions of shelter and
rehabilitation through lack of suitable organization.
22. The Committee will think perhaps that I have expressed myself
389
APPENDICES
very forcibly in this matter, but my great interest in the adoption of
the best and speediest means of restoring normal conditions in San
Francisco and in the relief of its destitute, will, 1 hope, be viewed as
excuses for my speaking freely and fully, and offering definite advice
relative to the work in hand.
23. In view of the great importance of the interest the municipality
has in this work, I have furnished a copy of this letter to his Honor,
Mayor E. E. Schmitz.
24. iMay 1 then express the hope that the Finance Committee will
agree with me that the Army will be withdrawn on July ist.
25. I may add that should the services of say half a dozen officers be
needed in the way of advice and aid during July, 1 should be glad to take
steps looking to their detail provided the Secretary of War approves
which I believe he will.
Very respectfully,
A. W. Greely,
Major General, Commanding
390
PLAN OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMISSION
PLAN OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMISSION*
Submitted to the Finance Committee, Relief and Red Cross Funds,
June 26, 1906
The work to be undertaken will naturally fall into eight main
departments.
I. Management and Sanitation of Camps. The camps are of
four classes:
1. Military Camps on military reservations. These will continue
under the supervision of the military authorities and our only relation
to them will be to furnish any necessary food, clothing or other relief,
and to arrange for the eventual removal of any who are not able to make
their own arrangements.
2. Military camps in public parks and squares. The problem
in these camps is to provide superintendence, sanitation, policing and
labor, which are now supplied by the Army. The present organization
should be continued, the pay-roll being transferred but the personnel so
far as possible being retained from the commanding officer of camps
down. Estimates for the expense of conducting these camps for the
month of July have been supplied to the Finance Committee by General
Greely and appropriations in accordance therewith are recommended.
3. Camps in public squares or on other city property not under
military control. These camps should be immediately incorporated
into the system which now prevails in the military camps. The co-
operation of the Park Department, the Health Department, and the
Police Department will be essential, but we are informed by the Mayor
that the expense of sanitation and policing which has heretofore been
borne by the Army will have to be met from the Relief Fund and probably
the same is true of the non-military camps which will become a part of
the same system.
4. Camps and straggling shacks and tents on private property.
The Commission will have no authority to interfere with persons living
either in tents or in temporary dwellings on private ground, but the
giving of any relief to such persons may be made subject to any conditions
which are considered necessary, and the intervention of the Health
Board may be asked whenever there are insanitary conditions.
II. Warehouses. After July ist, there will be only two ware-
houses, one in the Moulder School, for provisions and the other, now
in the Crocker School, and about to be removed to the new warehouse,
Geary and Gough Sts., construction of which has been authorized by
the Finance Committee, for clothing and other relief supplies. It is
expected that the present management of these two warehouses can be
continued, the military officers now in charge being given leave for this
purpose and engaged by the Commission. In this event the officers, as
superintendents of the warehouses, will probably be made purchasing
agents of the Commission for the kind of goods of which they respec-
tively have charge.
*See Part I, p. 20.
391
APPENDICES
III. Hot Meal Restaurants. There are now some 27 hot
meal restaurants, on which 10 cent and 15 cent tickets are issued by the
Kcd Cross in the several sections, to be redeemed by the Finance Com-
mittee. As these restaurants are located in camps any necessary super-
vision of their management and sanitation so long as they are continued
may safel\- be entrusted to the superintendent of camps and to those
who are in charge of the several camps under his direction. The Com-
mission should assume responsibility for the issuing of tickets and certify-
ing the bills of the contractors to the Finance Committee.
IV. Section Organization. The civilian chairmen of the seven
sections, in addition to their duties in the distribution of food and clothing
in the relief stations have succeeded to the duties of the military chiefs
of sections, and they should be responsible to the Commission until
relieved, which cannot probably be earlier than the end of July. These
chairmen have given their entire time to this work since May ist and they
should be paid for their services. They should be held responsible in
the immediate future for the distribution of clothing, meal tickets and
other relief and for the second registration which is now in progress and
which will bring to the Commission a large number of cases in which
gifts of money or its equivalent are required.
V. Hospitals. The care of the indigent sick has thus far been
in part in emergency hospitals maintained as a part of the camp system,
and in part in private hospitals on a per capita basis — payment being
made to the hospitals for each patient who is accepted as a proper charge
on the relief fund. It is desirable that the present plan be continued,
under the supervision of the Commission, the medical executor who has
been engaged by the Hospital Committee remaining in charge and super-
vising the emergency hospitals in camps as well as the care in private
hospitals, of which the expense is met from the Relief Fund.
VI. Special Relief. This is now one of the most important
parts of the work to be done by the Commission. It includes all aid
given to individuals or families other than food or ordinary clothing.
Its key-note is rehabilitation. Its object is to enable those who are now
dependent on the relief stations, or whose means of livelihood have been
destroyed, to become self-supporting. The means employed are the
furnishing of tools, furniture, sewing machines or other things, trans-
portation to other places, or loan, as may be indicated by the inves-
tigation in each instance. The Finance Committee has thus far advanced
$15,000.00 for experimental work in this direction. About 500 appli-
cations have been passed upon, and checks have already been drawn
and await signature, for over $3,000.00 in excess of the amount ap-
propriated. It is recommended that an additional appropriation for
this purpose be made at once. An advisory committee of 5 or 7 members
will be appointed in connection with this work.
VII. Loans. The Commission has under consideration the
advisability of opening a department of loans on
1. Pledges, such as are ordinarily deposited in pawn-shops.
2. Real estate mortgage for the erection of homes.
3. Chattel mortgage on furniture, etc., and
4. Personal endorsement.
392
PLAN OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMISSION
Such a department or departments would be of great service to persons
who do not wish to accept charity and who are still not in position un-
aided to build, furnish their homes or get started in business. Especially
is this true on account of the delay and uncertainty in the payment of
insurance claims. The Commission is not yet prepared to make a definite
recommendation on this subject, and it is named only as one of the
departments of work which it may be desirable to undertake in the
near future.
VIII. Housing. The question of shelter appears to the Com-
mission to be the one of paramount importance — so important indeed
as to require not only further consideration by the Commission itself
and by the Finance Committee, but also the co-operation of a strong
board of consulting architects and builders who would doubtless be
willing to assist the Commission in this capacity without compensation.
Estimates are before the Commission for the construction of temporary
dwellings of from $200.00 to $400.00 each. His Honor, Mayor Schmitz,
has expressed the opinion to the Commission that instead of constructing
such temporary buildings efforts should be made to provide before the
winter season a sufficient number of permanent homes of an attractive
character for all who need to be housed. The Commission is inclined to
accept this view although it is admitted that some additional temporary
barracks may be found necessary if by September ist, it appears that there
will be a shortage of permanent housing accommodations.
If the Finance Committee decides that it will be advisable that
$1,000,000.00 or some such amount be invested in acquiring land and
erecting homes to be rented and sold on reasonable terms of monthly
payment, it is probable that this sum can be greatly augmented by in-
vestment from private parties, if for any reason the Government deposits
are not found to be available for this purpose. The business can be so
conducted as to pay a reasonable return on such investment and still
make the dwellings of moderate cost to the renter and purchaser.
Finances. It is understood by the Commission that complete
financial control remains with the Finance Committee as was suggested
by General Greely in his letter of June 15 to the Finance Committee.
All work undertaken by the Commission will be on estimates and plans
submitted in advance to the Finance Committee. All bills will be audited
and paid by the Finance Committee. The Commission will make only
such purchases and contracts and engage such employees as have been
authorized by the Finance Committee, and the certificate of the duly
authorized officers and agents of the Commission would become a warrant
for payment when found to be in accordance with the action of the
Finance Committee. Certified copies of resolutions authorizing given
lines of work should be supplied by the Finance Committee to the Com-
mission. On the other hand, to fix responsibility and prevent confusion,
all executive work, both for relief and for rehabilitation, should devolve
upon the Commission, which should be held responsible fdr initiating
relief measures, presenting them to the Finance Committee and subse-
quently carrying them into effect.
393
APPENDICES
6
ORIGINAL HOUSING PLAN
Recommendations Submitted to Finance Committee, July, 1906
San Francisco, Cal., July 10, 1906.
James D. Phelan, Esq.,
Chairman Finance Committee.
Sir: —
The Finance Committee at its last meeting referred to the Rehabili-
tation Committee for consideration and report a proposition made in
the Finance Committee by Mr. M. H. de Young that a donation be made
to any workingman owning a lot in the burnt district of one-third
of the value of the dwelling to be erected on it, this donation however,
not to exceed in any case the sum of five hundred dollars, and to be
paid, not to the lot owner, but to the contractor who builds the house
when it is completed and clear of liens.
The Executive Commission has had under consideration various
plans for acquiring tracts of land and building homes for sale or rental,
one such plan having been referred to the Commission by the Finance
Committee at its last meeting. The Executive Commission has also
appointed, with the knowledge and approval of the Finance Committee,
a consulting board of architects and builders who have placed their
services at our disposal without compensation, both for expert counsel
on general plans and for the making of suitable designs for dwellings
which might be built by the Commission, or by individual lot owners.
Under these circumstances, both the Executive Commission and
the Rehabilitation Committee have given careful consideration to this
subject, and have held informal joint sessions in order that any recom-
mendations made by this Committee might have the endorsement of
both bodies, and might, if possible, be such as to secure the immediate
favorable consideration of the Finance Committee. It is agreed on all
sides that no time is to be lost if houses are to be made available before
the winter season, and before the tents which are now in use are so dilapi-
dated as to be uninhabitable.
The Rehabilitation Committee recommends the acceptance of the
principle that workingmen and others of moderate means whose homes
were destroyed by fire, who own lots in the burnt district, and who cannot
obtain from banks, building and loan associations or other societies
enough to rebuild without assistance, should be aided in rebuilding by
a donation or loan from the relief fund. This policy involves no new
action by the Finance Committee except the appropriation trom time
to time of such sums as may be required by the Rehabilitation Committee
to carry it into effect. It is exactly in line with the work which that
Committee was created to undertake. This Committee is therefore
already endeavoring to ascertain how many applications are likely to be
made for such donations or loans, and devising such safeguards as will
protect the operation of the plan from the obvious abuses to which it
394
ORIGINAL HOUSING PLAN
might be subjected. If there are any conditions of such grants which the
Finance Committee, or its members, would consider it desirable to call
to our attention, it is suggested that this be done at the earliest possible
moment; and if the Finance Committee disapproves the plan, that of
course, should be indicated before any further steps are taken. As soon
as the information is available, an estimate will be presented to the
Finance Committee as to the amount of money which is required to carry
this policy into effect. We consider it doubtful whether this plan, of
itself, will go very far towards providing shelter for the families now in
tents, but the time which has elapsed since the plan was proposed has
not been sufficient to enable us to secure accurate information on this
subject.
The Executive Commission on July 9th held a conference with the
consulting Board of Architects and Builders, at which the Chairman of
the Finance Committee, the Mayor, and some of the members of the
Rehabilitation Committee were present, and the whole subject was
exhaustively considered. The conclusion reached was that no one plan
had been suggested which would completely solve the problem of
housing the homeless families, but that immediate action is desirable
in the following directions:
I. The first necessity is the shelter of those who are entirely
dependent. We recommend for this purpose the erection on city property
of an attractive permanent building or buildings on the cottage pavilion
plan for the care of aged and infirm persons, chronic invalids and other
adult dependent persons for whom it is not so much a question of rehabili-
tation as of permanent maintenance. We recommend that such building
or buildings to be erected from the relief fund be large enough to ac-
commodate one thousand men and women, and that the maintenance of
the institution after it is erected be left to the municipality. Alternative
plans would be to care for these aged and infirm persons in existing
private institutions, on a per capita weekly basis similar to that on which
patients are now cared for in private hospitals, or to make an allowance
in the nature of a pension for their care, in private families. We believe
that the erection of a special pavilion would be more economical and
that it has the indirect advantage of enabling the city to secure an
attractive modern public home for aged and infirm persons. The plan
suggested, supplemented by the policy now in force of caring for the
indigent sick in hospitals and the ordinary operation of the established
charitable agencies of the city, will, it is believed, adequately and hu-
manely shelter those who are actually destitute, and who, from lack of
any earning capacity, must remain entirely dependent upon public relief.
II. The next and more serious problem is the supply of dwellings
for families who ordinarily pay a moderate rental, who do not own land
and have no considerable savings, but who are in receipt of ordinary
wages. There are probably five thousand families now in tents or other
temporary shelter who are in this position. Possibly, if those who are
temporarily out of the city and who desire to return are included, this
number may be ten thousand. No accurate estimate is possible for the
reason that there is no information available as to what number have
already permanently removed to suburban towns, what number ha§ been
395
APPENDICES
absorbed in existing homes by the doubling up process, and what number
will build for themselves. What is certain, however, is that no real
beginning has \'et been made by private enterprise or otherwise in the
erection of dwellings for the five thousand families of whfch'we do have
knowledge, although nearly half of the long summer season, which, for-,
tunately, lay between the disaster of April and the winter season, has
already elapsed. It was, therefore, the unanimous conclusion of the
conference, and it is the official recommendation of the Relief Commission
that in addition to all that is done for individuals through the Rehabili-
tation Committee some considerable contribution to the supply of homes
should be made directly from the Relief and Red Cross Funds, either
by financial assistance to private individuals or corporations in building
on a large scale, suitable dwellings, on satisfactory terms; or by the
creation for this particular purpose of an incorporated body, which can
make contracts and enforce legal obligations. It is, therefore, recom-
mended: that unless the alternative suggested can be made immediately
effective, eleven or more persons, including the Mayor, the Chairman of
the Finance Committee and suitable representation of the National
Red Cross, the Executive Commission and the Rehabilitation Committee,
be designated by the Finance Committee to form a corporation under
the laws of this State relating to corporations not for profit, that not less
than one million dollars be subscribed by the Finance Committee as
capital or as a permanent loan to this corporation; that the homes thus
provided be sold on a monthly installment plan to families who were
living in San Francisco on April 17th, and rented to those who are unable
to purchase; that all income from rentals and sales after meeting necessary
expenses be invested in the building of other houses, or for such other
public philanthropic objects as may be decided upon by the corporation
with the consent of the Finance Committee. After one year it might be
found practicable and desirable for the corporation thus formed to sell
its remaining property and interests to Savings Banks or otherwise,
and to dispose of the entire sum thus obtained for the relief of those who
were still at that time in any way in distress through the disaster, or if
there were no such distress, then for some public purpose which might
be decided upon.
The essential thing at this time is that, at the earliest possible
moment some of the funds which are now lying idle in the treasury of the
Finance Committee, shall be put at work providing homes for the working
people of the community. The plan which we have recommended is
proposed, first, as a relief measure because the tents will not provide
proper shelter after October; second, as a measure of public policy,
because, in the interests of the community it is not desirable that San
Francisco shall lose her present population of working people merely
because there are not dwellings to be rented or bought; third, also as a
measure of public policy, because it is desirable that workingmen shall
have the opportunity to own their homes, and this opportunity is now
afforded, not on a charitable, but on a reasonable and just business
basis; and, finally, because the intelligent and efficient carrying out of the
plan proposed will enable the community to set a standard of attractive,
sanitary, safe, and yet comparatively inexpensive dwellings which will
396
■ »,1
ORIGINAL HOUSING PLAN
have a beneficial effect not only in the immediate future, but for the
coming generation. The co-operation of the municipal administration
in enforcing suitable conditions as to sanitation, light, ventilation, fire
protection, etc., of the architects in making plans for convenient and
attractive homes at moderate cost, of the building trades in getting these
homes built, and of the Finance Committee in advancing capital and
creating a corporation which will ensure the purchasers against fraud or
injustice, will solve the housing problem and nothing less than this co-
operation will solve it.
In closing this report, however, the Rehabilitation Committee and
the Relief Commission alike wish to emphasize the fact that there is no
intention that the relief fund shall become a providence of the refugees,
solving all their difficulties and relieving them of all individual responsi-
bility. On the contrary, it is confidently expected that each family
will to the greatest possible extent solve its own problems, find its own
capital, decide on the plans for its own home, discharge its obligations
for any money advanced as soon as practicable, and that if these re-
commendations are adopted the entire business will be so conducted by
the Rehabilitation Committee, the Executive Commission and the
corporation formed for the purpose of acquiring land and building homes,
as to preserve in full integrity the fundamental traits of American char-
acter, individual initiative and personal responsibility.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the Executive Commission
and the Rehabilitation Committee.
Edward T. Devine,
Chairman.
397
I
APPENDICES
7
THE INCORPORATION OF THE FUNDS
San Francisco Relief and Red Cross Funds, a Corporation
(Incorporated July 20, 1906)
members and directors
James D. Phclan, President
F. W. Dohrmann, First Vice President
W. F. Herrin, Second Vice President
J. Downey Harvey, Secretary
Horace Davis
Frank G. Drum (resigned Aug. 21, 1906, resignation accepted Feb. 26^
1907)
I. W. Hellman, Jr.
W. F. Herrin
Rufus P. Jennings
Herbert E. Law
Thomas Magee
Garret W. McEnerney
Judge W. W. Morrow
Allan Pollok
Rudolph Spreckels
F. S. Stratton
Charles Sutro, Jr.
Joseph S. Tobin
Charles S. Wheeler
Ex Officio, the Governor of California
Ex Officio, the Mayor of San Francisco
Changes made later:
O. K. Gushing, elected member and director April 16, 1907, to succeed
Mr. Drum.
Edward T. Devine, elected member July 27, 1906.
The plan of organization adopted by the Executive Committee of
the Corporation for conducting the five departments into which it di-
vided its work was as follows:
398
w
INCORPORATION OF THE FUNDS
DEPARTMENT A. FINANCE AND PUBLICITY
This department shall be in charge of the President or Acting
President of the Corporation. It shall comprise all matters pertaining to
Finances of the Corporation.
The donations made or promised to the Corporation.
The custody of funds on hand.
The General Office.
The Bureau of History.
All publications issued or made by this Corporation.
All information to be given to the Press shall emanate from this
Department or shall be submitted for approval to this Department
before being printed except that each Chairman of the Department may
transmit information concerning the work contemplated or done in his
Department to the Press.
All automobiles except when assigned to their Departments, shall
be in the custody and under the direction of this Department.
The Staff of this Department shall consist of the Secretaries and
stenographers at large.
Accountants and Employees of the General Office.
The Janitors, door-keepers and messengers of the Office Building.
The Chauffeurs of the automobiles not assigned to other De-
partments.
The Committee and employees connected with the History
Committee.
Any other employees for general work except those of the other
Departments.
DEPARTMENT B. BILLS AND DEMANDS
This Department shall be in charge of Chairman, M. H. de Young.
It shall comprise all matters pertaining to bills and demands against this
Corporation.
Staff of this Department shall be the employees required for the
examination of all bills and demands to be passed upon by this Depart-
ment.
DEPARTMENT C. CAMPS AND WAREHOUSES
This department shall be in charge of Chairman Rudolph Spreckels.
It shall comprise all matters pertaining to:
Camp and camp supplies.
Sanitary matters connected with camps.
Outside warehouses and contents of same.
The staff of this department shall be employees of the office of
this department, the Superintendent, officers and assistants and employees
in charge of or connected with camips; Officers and employees in charge
of or connected with Warehouses.
399
APPENDICES
DEPARTiMENT D. RELIEF AND REHABILITATION
This Department shall be in charge of Chairman F. W. Dohrmann.
It shall comprise all matters pertaining to the business of 'the Special
Rehabilitation Committee appointed by this Corporation.
Of all applications for donations, relief and assistance not regularly
referred to the Special Rehabilitation Committee.
Of all matters connected with patients placed in hospitals on
account of this Corporation.
The Staff of this Department shall be
The office employees required in addition to the staff of the Special
Rehabilitation Committee.
DEPARTMENT E. LANDS AND BUILDINGS
This Department shall be in charge of Chairman Thomas Magee.
It shall comprise all matters pertaining to the erecting of a municipal
home for the indigent and aged.
The erecting of temporary buildings for housing the refugees.
The granting of bonus for the building of individual homes.
The buying of land and erecting buildings on same to be rented
or sold on installments.
The collection of rent or payments for buildings rented or sold.
Any other provisions or plans for acquiring land, erection of
buildings and the providing of homes for families.
The Staff of this Department shall be:
Employees of the Office of this Department.
General Business Manager and Assistants.
Architects, Draftsmen and Builders required.
Legal advisers necessary for the transaction of the business of
this Department.
400
APPOINTMENT OF BOARD OF TRUSTEES
8
APPOINTMENT OF BOARD OF TRUSTEES RELIEF AND RED
CROSS FUNDS, FEBRUARY, 1909
Results of Conference between Chairman Executive Committee of San
Francisco Relief and Red Cross Funds and Representative
American National Red Cross,
January, 1909
All active relief work to cease at once. A reserve fund of ^100,000
to be set aside for the payment of all judgments or other legal claims, for
all refunds due camp tenants, and for meeting the current expense of the
corporation. All other reserve funds to be cancelled and the amounts
reserved transferred to a General Relief Fund. All receipts and any
balance left of the $100,000 reserve mentioned above to be paid into this
general fund.
Specific appropriations were made out of the new General Relief
Fund for certain philanthropic organizations to the amount of $150,000.
The rest of this fund was to be used as follows:
The balance of the General Relief Fund, consisting of all the
money in the hands of the San Francisco Relief and Red Cross Funds, a
Corporation, not specifically reserved or appropriated as hereinbefore
described, and all money hereafter received from cancelled reserves and
appropriations and from collections, unexpended balances and receipts
from whatever source as above provided, is hereby appropriated for the
purpose of general relief. It is intended that this relief shall be of a
character that will most speedily and effectually remove the needs and
distress still existing or which may develop prior to April 18, 191 1, as a
direct or indirect consequence of the fire.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF RELIEF AND RED CROSS FUNDS
'To the end that the purposes of the Executive Committee, as
above described, may be carefully and thoroughly executed, there is
hereby created a Board of Trustees of Relief and Red Cross Funds.
This Board shall consist of five members as follows: F. W. Dohrmann,
Oscar K. Gushing, D. O. Crowley, John A. Emery, A. Haas.
The existence of the Board shall terminate when its duties are
completed, but in any event not later than April 18, 19 11. The Board
shall have power to fill vacancies in its membership, subject to the approval
of the Executive Committee and of the National Director of the American
National Red Cross. The officers shall consist of a Chairman, Vice-
Chairman and Treasurer, to be selected by the Board, and the Board
may partition its work into such departments or subdivisions as will
expedite the discharge of its duties and increase its efficiency. Authority
26 401
APPENDICES
is hereby given the Board to defray from the fund in its hands, all the
expenses necessary to the proper discharge of its trusts.
DUTIES OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
The entire General Relief Fund remaining after the deduction
of the amounts specifically appropriated as above described, shall be
paid to the Board of Trustees by them to be expended at their discretion
in such a manner and under such conditions as will strengthen the regular,
organized, charitable and philanthropic agencies of the City of San
Francisco.
in making grants to charitable organizations, the Board of Trustees
may prescribe conditions which will safeguard the fund and assure its
careful and proper expenditure. Every organization to which a grant
is made, shall be required to submit vouchers to the Board of Trustees
for all money expended.
The Board of Trustees shall fix the conditions under which specific
grants shall be made, as above provided, to St. Luke's Hospital, The
Children's Hospital, Roman Catholic Organizations, Jewish Organizations,
German Organizations, such hospitals and kindred institutions as the
Board itself is empowered to select.
It is expressly provided, however, that all grants to hospitals or
kindred institutions are to be conditioned upon a return, by the insti-
tutions, of free service to the poor, of value equivalent to the amounts of
the grants. Within this requirement, the Board is to have full discretion.
All current appropriations for individuals made in trust to the
Associated Charities are hereby made subject to the Board of Trustees
precisely as they were subject to the Rehabilitation Committee prior
to February i, 1909.
If the trust herein created is not terminated prior to April i, 1911,
the Board of Trustees, between April i and April 18, 191 1, shall select
organizations eligible under the terms of this trust, and allot to them
in such sums and upon such conditions as it may determine, the entire
amount of money remaining unappropriated in its hands. Provided,
that any grant to a hospital or kindred institution shall be conditioned
upon a return by the institution of free service to the poor of value equiv-
alent to the amount of the grant.
Upon the termination of the trust, the Board shall make a full
report of its operations and disbursements to the Executive Committee,
and to the American National Red Cross, and the records and papers of
the Board shall be turned over to the American National Red Cross
for preservation in its archives.
Both executive committees adopted along with this plan the
following agreement:
The American National Red Cross hereby agrees to forward to
the Board of Trustees of Relief and Red Cross Funds the sum of $100,000
on or before March i, 1909. This agreement is supplementary to the
resolution of the Executive Committee of San Francisco Relief and Red
402
APPOINTMENT OF BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Cross Funds, a Corporation, adopted February 4th, 1909, and will be
without effect if said resolutions are rescinded or modified.
It is understood that the balance of the unreserved principal of
the Relief Fund, remaining in the hands of the American National Red
Cross, after the payment of the amounts herein specified, shall be held
subject to such final disposition as the circumstances warrant.
This agreement before becoming effective shall be confirmed by
the Central Committee of the American National Red Cross.
On February 4, 1909, the Rehabilitation Committee, at that time
consisting of the men who had just been designated members of the Board
of Trustees, met for the last time and listened to the resolution of the
Executive Committee quoted above. After directing the Treasurer to
return to the general funds all unexpended balances then in its hands,
the committee adjourned sine die. On the same day they met as the
Board of Trustees of Relief and Red Cross Funds and organized by the
election of
Chairman, F. W. Dohrmann
Vice Chairman, Oscar K. Cushing
Treasurer, A. Haas
At the second meeting, February 12, the following committees
were appointed.
Committee I Care of the Sick, F. W. Dohrmann,
Chairman
Rev. D. O. Crowley
Committee II General Relief, Oscar K. Cushing,
Chairman
Rev. J. A. Emery
Committee III Housing and Sanitation, Rev. D. O. Crowley
Committee IV Accounts, A. Haas
403
LIST OF OFFICIAL CAMPS
Num-
ber
1
2
4
5
7
8
9
10
>3
15
i6
I?
i8
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
28
29
30
Location
Presidio, nr. Gen. Hosp.
Presidio. Tennessee Hol-
low ....
Presidio, Ft. Winfield
Scott (For Chinese) .
Presidio, Golf Links
Golden Gate Park, Chil-
dren's Playground .
G. G. Park, Speedway
(For Aged and Infirm)
G. G. Park, Lodge
Harbor View.
Lobos Square
Union Iron Works .
Franklin Square .
Fort Mason .
Jefferson Square .
Lafayette Square .
Mission Park (before cot-
tages were built)
Duboce Park
Hamilton Square .
Washington Square
Alamo Square
Precita Park (Bernal) .
Columbia Square .
Richmond (Irregular
boundary bet. 13th and
1 5th, Lake, and A Sts.)
Ingleside (Ingleside Race
Track)
South Park .
Mission Park (after cot-
tages were built)
Portsmouth Square
Opened or be- '
came official
Maximum population
May 9, '06
May 9, '06
May 9, '06
May 9, '06
May 19, '06
June I, '06
May 19, '06
May 9, '06
May 9, '06
May 9, '06
May 19, '06
May 19, '06
June 2, '06
June 2, '06
June 5, '06
June 8, '06
June 5, '06
June 6, '06
Date of
closing
/ i
July 9, '06
July 6, '06
July II, '06
2053-May 9, '06
910-May 9, '06
186-May 9, '06
329-May 9, '06
3000-June 30 and
Aug. 25, '06
835-July 1 4' Sept.
26, '06
1606-May 30, '06
2840-Aug. 25, '06
4933-June 18 to 22,
'07
2240-Aug. 28 to 3 1 & '
Sept. I to 8, '06
1 1 16-N0V. 23toDec.
I, '06
850-May 19, '06
2000-J une 2 to 2 1 , '06
622-June 29 to July
1/06
295-June 5-6, '06
650-Sept.i -15, '06
702-Dec. 3-8, '06
593-Feb. 7-July 12,
'07
857-Oct. I, '06
520-Feb. 25-May 8,
'07
1 500-Mar. 22 to July
12, '07
Nov. 20, '06 j 4130-May 20, '07
Oct. 9, '06
Dec. 3, '06
Nov. 19, '06
Dec. 18, '06
809-N0V. 22, '06
648-Feb. 15 to May
15/07
1609-April 16, '07
388-May 27-28, '07
June 12, '06
June 12, '06
June 12, '06
May 20, '06
Nov. 19, '06
Aug. 23, '07
Dec. 17, '06
Jan. 11/07
June 30, '08
Dec. I, '07
Nov. 6, '07
June 12, '06
Aug. 23, '07
Feb. 2, '07
June 6, '06
Feb. 2, '07
Aug. 3 1 , '07
Sept. 17, '07
Mar. 13, '07
Oct. 1 1, '07
Nov. 26, '07
Jan. I, '08
Jan. 22, '08
Jan. 7, '08
Oct. 22, '07
Oct. 1 1, '07
i
1 1 A small unofficial camp at Bothin, Marin County.
12, 14 No ca\nps were given these numbers.
27 Land at 18th and 20th and Potrero Ave., selected as a camp site but not used.
31 Garfield Park^ selected as a possible site, but not used as an official camp.
404
GRANTS TO CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS
10
GRANTS TO CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS
A. BY DENOMINATIONS AND NATURE OF WORK
Auspices under which grants were
administered
Catholic
Protestant
Jewish .
Non-sectarian
Total
GRANTS USED IN
Non-secta-
rian work
$93,720
88,598
5,000
285,600
$472,918
Sectarian
work
$49,000
20,500
34,000
$103,500
All grants
$142,720
109,098
39,000
285,600
$576,418
B. BY DENOMINATIONS
GRANTS ADMINISTERED UNDER
Organizations aided
Roman
Catholic
Protes-
tant
Jewish
Non-
sectarian
All
grants
auspices
auspices
auspices
auspices
Benevolent organiza-
tions
$38,000
$12,600
$20,000
$66,000
$136,600
Homes
28,000
4,200
3,000
43,500
78,700
Orphanages
22,000
20,693
. .
13,500
56,193
Organizations for aid-
ing children .
27,500
17,700
• .
26,550
7i>750
Kindergartens .
220
. .
1,000
10,150
11,370
Schools
7,500
. .
. •
. .
7,500
Hospitals .
10,000
22,905
10,000
70,500
113.405
Clinics
, ,
, ,
. .
12,800
12,800
Settlertients
3,000
9,000
5,000
29,500
46,500
Missions .
1,000
. .
. .
1,000
Miscellaneous .
6,500
2 1 ,000
• •
13,100
40,600
Total
$142,720
$109,098
$39,000
$285,600
$576,418
In addition to the grants mentioned in the table there was paid
from the New York Chamber of Commerce Fund, to St. Luke's Hospital
$25,000, and to the Children's Hospital $25,000. The Massachusetts
Association for the Relief of California sent to the University of California
Hospital $100,000.
405
APPENDICES
11
REHABILITATION COMMITTEE: DETAILS OF AD-
MINISTRATION
I. Directions given by the Associated Charities. For
the use of workers in the seven civil sections.
1. A Section Agent will be appointed at the headquarters of each
of the civil sections, to represent the Associated Charities, and to whom
all the visitors shall report. The Section Agent shall have charge of the
records, and it shall be her duty to see that the work hereinafter outlined
is properly carried out.
2. Each application card, as it is brought in by the visitor, must
be catalogued by name in a card index. After being approved by the
Section Agent as to the completeness of the investigation, it should be
passed on by the Section Committee, and should then be sent to the
Rehabilitation Committee.
3. The recommendation of the Section Committee should be
endorsed on the back of the card under the heading, *' Investigator's
suggestions as to what should be done.''
4. All letters or other papers relating to the case should be fastened
to the card by a wire clip, and should be sent with it wherever it goes.
5. When the card is sent to the Rehabilitation Committee, the
index card prepared by the Section Agent should be sent with it and the
Rehabilitation Committee will place on the index card the number given
by it to the application card on its records. This number will serve as
the receipt of the Rehabilitation Committee, and will also give the Sec-
tion Agent a ready reference to the records of the Rehabilitation Com-
mittee. The index card must be returned to the Section Agent by the
messenger who brings it to the Rehabilitation Committee, and the Sec-
tion Agent must keep a proper record of the index cards sent in, so that
she will be sure to get them back.
6. The Rehabilitation Committee will in due time report through
the same messenger, to the Section Argent, the result of its action in each
case. The receipt of the Section Agent will be taken in each instance.
The character of its action will of course be based upon the merits of each
case. In one instance, a request for transportation may be granted; in
another, a check for a loan or grant of money may be furnished; in an-
other, a requisition for certain supplies may be given; and occasionally,
an application may be refused.
7. When the report of the Rehabilitation Committee is received
by the Section Agent, a brief note thereof must be made on the index card,
and a notice should be sent to the applicant, requesting him to call at the
Section Office. A printed form will be provided for this notice. Except
in cases of refusals, the receipt of the applicant should be taken on the
index card for whatever is given to him.
8. In case a check is given by way of loan, it will be accompanied
by a promissory note, which must be signed by the applicant when the
check is given to him, and the Section Agent should sign the promissory
406
• REHABILITATION COMMITTEE — ADMINISTRATION
note as a witness. This promissory note should then be returned to the
Rehabilitation Committee by the messenger already referred to.
9. The Rehabilitation Committee, in reporting its actions in each
case, will attach a slip, giving directions to the Section agent as to what
is to be done. (For mstance, stating if a promissory note is to be taken,
or giving other directions of a like character.)
10. The visitor should notify the applicant in each case that he
will receive a notice from the Section Agent as soon as his application
has been acted upon by the Committee.
11. The Section Agent must keep the Chairman of the section
advised as to the result of each application, so that the Chairman miay
know what provision has been made for the applicant, and whether or
not the applicant should move from the camp, or be denied further food
supplies or other assistance.
12. Visitors should indicate on the upper margin of the card,* just
left of the words "National Red Cross,'' the Section from which the card
comes. Space should be left in the upper left-hand corner of the card
for the number to be placed thereon by the Rehabilitation Committee.
13. The name of the visitor and the date of the application should
be written on the upper right hand corner of the card.
14. In cases where applicants require Housing and nothing else,
the registration cards should be held at the Section Headquarters, and a
duplicate separate index should be kept on such cards, catalogued by
name. It may be necessary to hold other cards, and these should be
filed and indexed in the same way.
15. One visitor in each section will be designated to act as a mes-
senger between the Section headquarters and the office of the Rehabili-
tation Committee, so that she may keep in touch with the work of the
Committee, and so that inquiries by applicants and such other questions
as will naturally arise may be referred to her, to be taken up with the
Committee when she calls. She will also bring back to the Section head-
quarters the result of the action of the Rehabilitation Committee, and
should make at least one call a day on the Committee.
16. A general agent of the Associated Charities will have super-
vision over the work of all the sections. It shall be his duty to see that
the records are properly kept and that the work is correctly and rapidly
performed. All Section Agents and Visitors shall be under his direction.
He shall report to the General Secretary.
17. A weekly report must be sent to the Rehabilitation Committee
through the general agent, every Monday, showing for each section
separately:
1. The total number of cases investigated.
2. The number of cases investigated during the preceding week.
3. The number of applications sent to the Rehabilitation Com-
mittee.
4. The number of applications for Housing, etc., held at the section.
The plan outlined above was carried out until the closing
of the section offices.
* Appendix II, p. 428.
407
APPENDICES
II. Monthly Budgets. The monthly budgets of the Re-
habihtation Committee, including those of the Associated Charities,
from July, 1906, to June, 1907,* were as follows:
Month
Number of
employes
Total
Expense
for
Expense
for sup-
expense
salaries
plies, etc.
1906
July
.
134
$8,600.00
$7,800.00
$800.00
August .
.
170
1 1,500.00
9.573-50
1,926.50
September
.
132
10,000.00
8,000.00
2,000,00
October .
.
63
5,300.00
4,130.00
1,170.00
November
.
So
6,300.00
5,300.00
1,000.00
December
1907
1 10
8,235.00
6,735.00
1,500.00
January
•
114
8,594.00
7,094.00
1,500.00
February
• •
1 10
8,000.00
0,572.00
1,428.00
March
■ • • •
?
6,000.00
?
?
April
• • • •
31
2,500.00
2,172.60
327.40
May
.
22
2,000.00
1,744.40
255.60
June
.
20
1,750.40
1,615.40
135.00
111. Method OF Work Beginning July 7, 1906, in Connec-
tion WITH THE District [Section] Organization. The system of
entering applications and filing records was carefully worked out.
The applications recorded on the National Red Cross cards were
taken to the Rehabilitation Office and put at once on the registrar's
desk. Each face card was clasped together with its continuation cards
with an ordinary paper clip. The registrar and most of her assistants
were young women who had had experience in indexing in the public and
other libraries of the city. Duplicate index cards were each marked with
the number of the case, which number was then entered on the National
Red Cross card. The numbers were assigned consecutively. The cases
were then placed in manila folders similar to those used in the index files
of business houses, and were at once placed in boxes on the desks of the
reviewers. At the same time the index card was placed in an alphabeti-
cal file with the number of the case. The surnames and Christian names
of the applicants were entered in a book in consecutive order as the num-
bers were assigned.
*This does not include budgets of other bureaus of the Department of
Relief and Rehabilitation. Some of the figures are only approximately correct.
They include employes: both the Associated Charities staff and the employes
of the Committee. They do not include volunteers. The question marks indicate
that data are not available.
408
REHABILITATION COMMITTEE — ADMINISTRATION
Each case was read by a reviewer who made underneath the rec-
ommendation of the section committee his own recommendation, which
might or might not be identical in terms. A paster * was Used on which to
enter the recommendation made by the section committee or by the re-
viewer. After October i, 1906, the recommendation was entered on the
paster by the sub-committee of the Rehabilitation Committee, and, when
a grant was made, the number of the check drawn was also entered on
the paster. If more than one application were made, or more than one
action taken by the committee, a separate paster was used for each appli-
cation and for each decision.
During the periods of district organization, as soon as reviewers
had made their recommendations the cases were put in consecutive order
in large boxes, to be acted on by the members of the Rehabilitation Com-
mittee. After a boxful had been approved or disapproved, they were
taken to the bookkeeper's department. Expert bookkeepers were found
to be essential. The bookkeeper made entry of grant or refusal of grant,
of cases referred or not found, in consecutive order in a cash journal.
Each grant was recorded in the appropriate column, as, "Business,"
*' Household," etc. On the cash journal page a running account was kept
with the bank in which the funds were deposited. In the debit column
were entered the appropriations as they were deposited, as well as returns
upon loans and canceled checks. In the credit column was kept the
amount of checks issued. Upon each check was entered the correspond-
ing case number, so that there might be a double checking. The checks
were then attached to the front of the record cards, and were presented to
the treasurer for signing. The treasurer corrected any mistakes in draw-
ing checks, and observed whether the rules of the committee had been
followed, and if the approval were in regular form.
The signed checks were given to a responsible official, who re-
classified the cases by sections. He then made a double memorandum
receipt, and turned over the checks to the section messengers. The
records were not returned to the sections with the checks. If a case had
been refused, referred, or action taken other than making a grant, the
record itself was sometimes referred back to the section. When the
checks were received at the section office, notice was sent to those for
whom they had been drawn. The banks upon which the drafts were made
accepted the signatures of one or more salaried workers in each section.
The records were of necessity handled by a great many people
other than those responsible for the financial management. It was,
therefore, very early deemed advisable not to file receipts of the appli-
* See paster. Appendix II, p. 433.
409
APPENDICES
cants with the case records themselves. These receipts were kept in a
separate place, being filed according to case number and being readily
accessible for reference purposes, in not over lo out of a total of 27,570
checks, were the checks given to the wrong person. In all except one
of these 10 cases, the person receiving them had the same name as the
endorsee. The instructions were very strict in order to make identifica-
tion sure.
As much exasperation and delay was at first caused by difficulty
in finding case records when needed, a tracing system was introduced.
Whenever a case was transferred from one person to another, or from one
desk to another, a slip was made out, giving the number of the case and
indicating from whom it was going and to whom. The tracing clerks
had charge books with the case numbers in consecutive order. When
each slip was received, the clerk entered against the case number the last
charge, by initials or abbreviation, so that at any moment it would be
possible to find who at that time had the case in charge. The rigid rule
of the office was to note transfers immediately, and though there were
violations of this rule, its importance was so deeply impressed upon the
staff that the number of mistakes was comparatively small. Two thou-
sand transfers were entered on one day, October i, 1906. When a case
was ready for filing, the fact was recorded in the charge or tracing book.
Each person was required to keep the cases with which he was dealing,
at all times in consecutive order. Four hundred cases might be awaiting
the review of the committee; another 400 might be in the hands of the
reviewers; and still another 400 in the hands of the filing clerks. The
ability rapidly to find cases was materially increased by this simple
arrangement.
A special clerk received the case records from the auxiliary societies.
He kept a book in which to enter the name of each case, of the society
which referred it, and the grant asked for. This clerk took the cases
himself to the registrar, kept a list of them, and saw that they were trans-
ferred from the registrar to the table of the committee, and from the com-
mittee's table to the bookkeeping department. After the checks were
drawn, he made sure that the records and the checks were taken to the
treasurer. After the checks were signed, it was his duty to see that they
were placed in the hands of officials of the proper societies. If other
action were taken, he was responsible for seeing that a memorandum was
given to the proper persons.
The special duty of another clerk was to wait upon the sub-com-
mittees while they were passing upon cases. This clerk arranged the
cases in consecutive order, saw that the committee did not omit any,
410
' REHABILITATION COMMITTEE — ADMINISTRATION
looked up cases considered out of their turn, made memoranda of cases
returned for further investigation, etc.
No applications theoretically were received at the Rehabilitation
Office during the time of district or section organization. As a matter of
fact, it was necessary to have at the central office from one to four recep-
tion agents. As far as possible the applicants who came to the Rehabili-
tation Office were referred to the Associated Charities office, but often-
times it became necessary to. treat a case as emergent. In addition to
the interviewers, therefore, there were from one to four investigators at
work from the center.
Many of the transportation cases, after being registered, were
referred directly to the secretary of the superintendent, who was practically
the corresponding secretary for the office. It was necessary closely to
watch these cases, to follow up a first inquiry with a second letter and
sometimes with a telegram, and even in some cases with a third communi-
cation. Where these brought no replies, it was necessary to reconsider
the case to see if the transportation should be ordered, with the insufficient
information on file, or whether some other action should be taken. With
the transportation cases awaiting answers were filed cases which awaited
answers from business references. It was found necessary to check this
file regularly at least twice a week.
Upon the approval of recommendation for transportation, the
cases were as in other instances sent to the bookkeeper. One of the book-
keepers entered in the Transportation Book the number of the card, the
number of the order upon the railroad, the name of the applicant, the
destination, the number of individuals, the number of tickets required,
applicant's contribution, railroad contribution, and committee's con-
tribution.
Letter of Information No. 2.
Regarding transportation. Sent to the Sections July, 1906.
With regard to applications for transportation it may be well
to instruct you more fully as to what the railroads are doing for us and
what we can be expected to do for applicants favorably recommended.
As you know, the Rehabilitation Committee is receiving no free trans-
portation from any of the railroads. The Southern Pacific is now quot-
ing us two rates, the lower one to be used when the transportation ex-
pense is to be charged to this Committee, and the higher in cases only
where the applicant himself is to pay. The best rate we can get for east-
ward bound refugees, when the whole expense is to be borne by this
Committee, is that of one cent a mile as far as Chicago, St. Louis or New
Orleans; half fare beyond in the Central Passenger Association, or
Southern Passenger Association, territory to Buffalo, Pittsburg, and
Atlanta, and full fare beyond any of these points to the seaboard. Where
APPENDICES
the applicant is himself to pay, he is charged at the rate of half fare as
far as Chicago, which is equal to half fare as far as Buffalo or Pittsburg,
and full fare be\'ond.
The California and Northwestern Railway Co., will transport
refugees free for us whenever it is a case of this Committee recommending
that they pay nothing.
in the matter of steamship transportation, the rates we are getting
are not so favorable; the best seems to be a quotation of second cabin
passage rates for first cabin accommodations, and perhaps a low steerage
figure. We usually give the approved applicant a special letter to the
Gen. Manager or Passenger Agent of the steamship company authorizing
the company to charge us with the amount of fare and to make it as low
as possible for this Committee. Of course, we demand nothing and only
ask and recommend in each specific case.
With this information you may be better prepared to advise appli-
cants who are seeking transportation out of the city.
IV. The Centralized System. The centralized system
caused but little change to be made in the system of the Reha-
bilitation Office itself. With the organization of the sub-commit-
tees, a requisition blank was introduced. Whenever a committee
desired a particular case, it was asked to fill out one of these
blanks, and send it to the registration office. Secretaries of the
committees had supervision of the clerical work done in connection
with each of their departments. The bookkeeping and tracing
systems remained practically the same.
V. Consideration of Cases out of Turn. The following
letter was issued by the superintendent in July, 1906.
Letter of Information No. 5
Regarding Emergency Cases
"To all Sections: —
"A number of cases have been forwarded with emergency cards,
which should not have had them. The Committee assumes that few
emergencies can possibly arise after a lapse of 3 months, which require
immediate settlement.
*'An excellent illustration of a 'mistaken' emergency: — A car-
penter, idle since the fire discovered eight days ago that he must have
tools to go to a job the following date.
'* The emergency card was taken off by direction of the Superintend-
ent because the natural query arose why had he not been working long
before at something. As he had not, he could very well wait until his
case was reached in regular order. Carpenters are at a premium.
"Emergency cases delay appreciably the progress of other cases
and should be reduced in number."
412
. REHABILITATION COMMITTEE — ADMINISTRATION
The letter notes an important point; namely, the delays and
inconveniences that are caused by cases having to be considered out of
turn.
On July 23, 1906, the Rehabilitation Committee voted that ordi-
narily no cases should be considered emergent unless sickness or death
were involved. It goes without question, however, that such a rule could
not be strictly lived up to. Unusual situations arose which had to be
attended to. From time to time cases were sent back when the Com-
mittee refused to handle them as emergent. It is probably true that
this particular question cannot be adequately dealt with by rules. The
necessity is for responsible committees to maintain the closest sort of su-
pervision and to refuse to consider out of turn cases which obviously do
not demand immediate attention.
With the establishment of Sub-committee No. i , which had a revolv-
ing fund, the work was placed on a much better basis. With any letting
down of the bars, the number of requests brought up, not only by paid
workers, but by committee members, constantly increases. In the early
days, the Rehabilitation Oifice was overrun at times by persons who were
asking for special attention for families they knew. The need of taking
up some cases out of turn is granted; the emphasis should be laid upon
its regulation. It should be borne in mind that there is a high principle
involved; that is, the rendering of strict justice to those families which
have no friends at court, and which have not pressed their own claims.
VI. A Lesson Learned Regarding Records. In the re-
view of the rehabilitation work, it is quite apparent that the theory
that a case can be dealt with completely at one time is impractical.
No set of rules could or should effect the result of a family's being
considered once only and then as a case be marked 'Tmaliy closed."
A rehabilitation committee should recognize that a large num-
ber of cases may be re-opened, and plan its record system so
that there will be no confusion in interpreting the re-openings.
The second Red Cross card* and supplementary blank cards
for extended investigations, were the only general record cards
in use. To the Red Cross card a "paster'f was attached by its
gummed end, each time that a case was re-opened. The number
of pasters on some record cards was from five to 10. The charity
organization experience is that nothing can take the place of the
* Appendix II, p. 428.
t Appendix II, p. 433.
APPENDICES
chronological record. Owing to the use of the pasters without
the carrying on of the chronological record the system failed.
Though the supplementary cards used in connection with
the Red Cross cards made a chronological record of the facts
possible, there was no uniformity in the keeping of the records.
In connection with records of rehabilitation work, the important
points are to learn the exact date of each application, the date
upon which it was passed or refused by the committee, and the
size of the grant, if any. These important points should be
grouped somewhere for quick reference. In addition, a summary
should state the kind of rehabilitation asked for in each applica-
tion. The suggested form of summary to be filled in at the time
that each application is passed upon would be as follows:
Date of application Amount of grant
Application for Refusal
Date of action Date of payment
The sub-committees under the centralized system failed to
maintain a uniform standard. The most orderly records were
those of Committee VI, the business committee, and Committee
1, the emergency committee. The housing committee used numer-
ous blanks, but in order to trace a housing case it is necessary to
wade through the entire correspondence, because the applications
were frequently filed within the correspondence. In the examina-
tion of cases from the other committees for this Relief Survey, it
was wellnigh impossible for the tabulators to learn in what manner,
and at what time, and for what reason, the reopenings occurred.
The only fact that was evident was that there had been reopenings,
because there were successive pasters indicating refusals or grants.
in some instances the reason for re-opening, instead of being placed
in its proper order upon the chronological sheets was written on
top of the paster itself in the space allowed for ''Recommenda-
tion." Sometimes by an exhaustive study of all the documents
on file, it was possible to guess approximately the date of re-
opening and why there was a re-application. If the various
chairmen of sub-committees had been working in daily contact,
as they were in the second and third periods, a better standard
would have been maintained.
414
REHABILITATION COMMITTEE — ADMINISTRATION
Two things have been absolutely demonstrated; first, that
the records should approximate in form those used by charity organi-
zation societies. First, dates should be given for everything
said or done, these dates should be arranged chronologically on
sheets or cards in sequence, and the fact of the receipt of letters
or documents, or of the sending of letters or documents, should
be entered in their proper chronological order. Second, there
should be a place upon the face of the card or immediately at-
tached to it for the summary of applications and decisions.
VII. Loose Ends. The Rehabilitation Committee made
endeavors to gather together the loose ends that resulted from the
fact that small relief funds were distributed of which no record
was given to the Rehabilitation Committee. Among such funds
may be mentioned those in the hands of the Town and Country
Club; the Doctors Daughters', the Physicians', as well as the
Portland (Oregon) fund and the various church funds. In spite
of there being special funds, for instance for relief of doctors, the
committee was constantly receiving applications from physicians.
It is hoped that the givers of similar funds in the future maybe
gradually educated to the point of insisting upon system and con-
centration of authority in their distribution; otherwise there is
bound to be waste.
VIII. Bookkeeping and Registration Notes. The state-
ment is axiomatic that the most effective workers should be at the
places of greatest congestion. When a large relief problem is to be
met these will usually be the bookkeeping and registration depart-
ments. It should be re-emphasized that in these two departments
the very best help should be searched for. In the registration
work the Rehabilitation Committee was fortunate in securing
a number of library clerks for indexing. The system of filing
correspondence was not uniform. Some of the secretaries, how-
ever, as the case records were in folders consecutively numbered,
adopted the satisfactory plan of keeping an index of the persons
written to, together with the number of the cases written about.
In order to make possible a rapid separation of replies to letters
there should be a centralization of correspondence. Under the
section system this was not necessary, owing to the fact that
letters were sent out with the addresses of the section offices, to
415
APPENDICES
which repHes naturally went. Possibly the only centralization
necessary would have been to keep a complete index of the names
of persons written to, which would have required the various
secretaries to send to some one person a duplicate card, giving the
name of the correspondent and the case number.
The Rehabilitation Committee's experience proves that the
authority to give the numbers for the case records should be in
one place, so that confusion through the duplicating of numbers
may be avoided. The rigid standards of the best charity organi-
zation societies are none too rigid, when one realizes that while
such a society may deal within a year with from 2000 to 6000
families, a committee such as the Rehabilitation Committee might
have to deal with over 25,000. Another most important con-
sideration is the need of impressing workers with an appreciation
of the value of records and of the call for absolute accuracy. It
should be realized that care with records does not mean red tape
or loss of time, but added efficiency. It means not only less
worry for the workers themselves, but quicker meeting of the
needs of individual families. Every minute spent in hunting for
a lost record or endeavoring to supply an omitted entry, means
a minute more of delay to a number of other families. These
minutes grow astonishingly large in number, so that by and by
they may be computed in days. Not only were there such delays
at times, but it became occasionally necessary to reprove workers
who had on their own responsibility made changes in the records.
In some cases, for instance, the names of members of particular
families were changed, without the knowledge of anyone except
the worker involved. As a worker close to the Relief Survey has
well said, ''There is constant need of impressing the sacredness
of a record upon those who use it."
416
GENERAL PLAN OF HOUSING COMMITTEE
12
GENERAL PLAN OF HOUSING COMMITTEE
The following plan for handling applications for cottages to be
built by contractors was followed in the main by Committee V:
1. Original requests were to be received by mail only and ref-
erences were to be consulted by mail; but in reality many persons came
to the office to file their applications.
2. When this work was finished and the case indexed the appli-
cation was placed before the Housing Committee for:
a. Such further investigation as it deemed necessary.
b. Action by Committee.
3. When the Committee decided to make a grant, directions
showing the kind of house to be built, the amount to be paid to the
contractor, and the amount of the instalments to be paid by the applicant,
were written on a slip and attached to the application.
4. The applicant was then notified of the action of the Committee
and was told that he must execute the proper contracts with the bank
selected by the Committee, as follows:
a. If the applicant were the owner of the land, a note and
mortgage binding him to repay the agreed instalments were drawn up
and deposited with the bank, or
b. If the applicant were a lessee or had a contract to purchase
the land, a conditional contract of purchase providing that the title to
the cottage was to remain with the bank till paid for, together with a
consent and waiver from the owner of the land, so that the owner of the
land would not get a title to the house until all of the payments were
completed.
c. The applicant was required to produce a receipt showing
that he had paid to the Board of Public Works the necessary deposit for
opening the street and making proper sewer connections.
5. When the above papers had been executed and presented to
the bank the Committee was notified at once.
6. Orders were then given to the contractor to proceed with the
building of the house.
7. Arrangements were made with the auditing department for
drawing and forwarding the checks to be paid when so ordered and signed
by a representative of the Committee.
8. The contractor was required to send notice by mail to the
Housing Committee when each building was completed.
27 417
APPENDICES
9. Thereupon an inspector was sent to examine the house and
Tcport back to the Committee in writing within 24 hours.
10. When a satisfactory report was received from the Committee's
inspector the contractor was paid and the house turned over to the
applicant.
The above outline of the method of procedure followed by the
Committee, while perhaps not adhered to strictly in every case, was, in
general, the usual plan adopted and served to expedite matters to a
considerable degree.
In order to clarify the matter of the kind of houses the Committee
would erect, they provided drawings for four or five different styles of
buildings. These plans, with the price of each attached, were displayed
by the Committee to all applicants, who selected the one desired in
accordance with the price they were able to pay. However, the buildings
actually erected were changed in minor features by the applicant or
contractor with the consent of the Committee. The Committee engaged
various contractors in no way connected with those retained by the
Land and Building Department for the erection of camp cottages.
418
STATISTICS FROM ASSOCIATED CHARITIES
13
STATISTICS FROM ASSOCIATED CHARITIES^
A. RECEIPTS OF SAN FRANCISCO ASSOCIATED CHARITIES FROM ALL SOURCES,
BY MONTHS FROM JUNE, I907, TO SEPTEMBER, I912, INCLUSIVE
Month
1907
1908
1909
1910
191 1
1912
January
$13,696.38
$8,373-16
$33,330.79
$1,345.48
$7,411.68
February
8,971.17
5,481.74
8,941.58
7,395-55
8,773.40
March
10,007.52
35,261.67
11,250.79
5,773-97
5,217.50
April
17,455-98
10,934.18
1 1,381.90
5,851.66
14,972.31
May
14,073.68
6,947.41
8,005.59
10,145.33
9,876.84
June
$318.31
18,318.59
10,732.56
11,743-57
14,083.40
16,221.65
July
1,240.76
10,303.64
7,655.22
7,066.97
1,426.34
10,536.56
August
5.577-91
6,704.84
10,513.91
5,370.14
16,576.94
2,057.50
September
511.69
9,745- n
6,621.73
6,989.75
4,881.17
8,056.67
October
26,054.15
8,370.00
8,518.84
1 1,364.10
11,354.83
^ ^
November
8,733-6i
4,794- 58
10,916.96
6,607.95
14,252.44
^ ^
December
13,027.63
7,14304
9,637.70
10,294.14
17,850.90
• .
Total .
$55,464.06
$129,584.53
$131,595.08
$132,347.27
$110,938.01
$83,124.11
Monthly
average
$7,923. 44b
$10,798.71
$10,966.26
$1 1,028.94
$9,244.90
$9,236.01 c
B. DISBURSEMENTS OF SAN FRANCISCO ASSOCIATED CHARITIES FOR RELIEF
AND FOR ADMINISTRATION, BY MONTHS, FROM JUNE, I907, TO
SEPTEMBER, I912, INCLUSIVE a
Year and month
Direct expendi-
tures for relief
Salaries and
other expendi-
tures for
administration^!
Total
expenditures
1907 June.
July. . . .
August .
September
October .
November
December
$4,239.74
3,619.35
3,204.02
4,306.32
12,829.13
7,009.65
5,911.58
$1,916.60
2,333-34
1,932.65
2,031.74
1,588.15
699.73
1,815.48
$6,156.34
5,952.69
5,136.67
6,338.06
14,417.28
7,709.38
7,727.06
Total
$41,119.79
$12,317.69
$53,43748
Monthly average .
$5,874-26 b
$1,759.67^
$7,633.93^
a Compiled from a statement supplied by the Associated Charities, December
31, IQ12.
D For seven months only.
c For nine months only.
d Includes nursing service and child care.
419
APPENDICES
B. DISBURSEMENTS OF SAN FRANCISCO ASSOCIATED CHARITIES FOR RELIEF
AND FOR ADMINISTRATION, BY MONTHS, FROM JUNE, I907, TO
SEPTEMBER, I912, INCLUSIVE — (CONTINUED)
Salaries and
Year and month
Direct expendi-
other expendi-
Total
tures for relief
tures for
expenditures
administration
190b January .
$6,622.00
$2,253.80
$8,875.80
February
i3»7»4.34
2,463.79
16,178.13
March
1 1,01 1.52
2,738.34
13,749.86
April
9,611.49
3,423.24
13.034-73
May.
13,846.07
2,40735
16,253.42
June.
9,322.52
4,560.45
13,882.97
July
10,852.82
3,099.19
13,952.01
August
6,314.71
828.04
7.142.75
September
7,716.84
3.79543
11,512.27
October .
7.11543
2,429.44
9.54487
November
4,852.45
1,932.49
6,784.94
December
4,376.88
2,036.40
6,413.28
Total
1^105,357.07
$31,967.96
$137,325.03
Monthly average .
^,779.76
$2,664.00
|n.443-75
1909 January .
$4,921.96
$2,129.55
$7,051.51
February
8,245.75
2,150.02
10,395-77
March
7»394-84
3,004.12
10,398.96
April
7.41748
2,074.63
9,492.11
May.
6,120.89
2,081.97
8,202.86
June.
6,872.41
1,878.56
8,750.97
July.
6,210.19
2,156.40
8,366.59
August
6,816.13
2,447-93
9,264.06
September
6,332.06
2,066. 1 5
8,398.21
October .
4.93147
2,027.76
6,959.23
November
6,291.56
1,968.69
8,260.25
December
7,QIQ.OO
2,47345
10,392.45
Total
if79473-74
$26,459.23
$105,932.97
Monthly average
$6,622.81
$2,204.94
$8,827.75
1910 January .
$6,672.87
$2,596.15
$9,269.02
February
8,910.76
2,102.22
11,012.98
March
12,762.54
2,156.48
14,919.02
April
7,603.22
2,375-26
9,978.48
May.
7,696.27
2,31741
10,013.68
June.
8,118.11
2,691.02
10,809.13
July.
6,465.31
2,565-34
9,030.65
August
7,019.96
2,295.84
9.315-80
September
6,349-54
2,119.41
8,468.95
October .
6,801.31
1,729.99
8,531.30
November
6,479.83
2,091.95
8,571-78
December
6,648.04
2,001.97
8,650.01
Total
^"
$91,527.76
$27,043.04
$118,570.80
Monthly average .
$7,627.31
^253. 59
$9,880.90
420
?^
STATISTICS FROM ASSOCIATED CHARITIES
B. DISBURSEMENTS OF SAN FRANCISCO ASSOCIATED CHARITIES FOR RELIEF
AND FOR ADMINISTRATION, BY MONTHS, FROM JUNE, I907, TO
SEPTEMBER, I912, INCLUSIVE — (CONTINUED).
Year and month
Direct expendi-
tures for relief
Salaries and
other expendi-
tures for
administration
Total
expenditures
191 1 January
February
March ^
April
May.
June.
July..
August
Septembe
October
Novembe
December
r
r
$6,232.45
6,557.76
6,694.3 1
7440.59
6,963.05
7,104.07
6,061.51
8,378.50
5,29561
5,352.32
7,004.82
7,072.07
$2,415.48
1,845.99
1,997.20
2,253.58
3,030.28
2,152.68
2,088.62
2,138.88
2,285.35
2,456.61
2,632.77
2,213.52
$8,647.93
8,403.75
8,691.51
9,694.17
9,993.33
9,256.75
8,150.13
10,517.38
7,580.96
7,808.93
9,63759
9,285.59
Total
$80,157.06
$27,510.96
$107,668.02
Monthly average .
$6,679.76
$2,292.58
$8,972.33
1912 January .
February
March
April
May.
June.
July . .
August .
Septembe
r
$8,057.74
9,869.41
9,162.64
7,209.24
7,746.63
13,484.32
9,824.77
9,824.77
7,465.69
$2,732.89
2,383.10
2,54583
2,356.18
3,402.04
2,815.99
2,587.55
2,587.55
2,741.52
$10,790.63
12,252.51
11,708.47
9,565.42
1 1,148.67
16,300.31
12,412.32
12,412.32
10,207.21
Total
$82,645.21
$24,152.65
$106,797.86
Monthly average .
$9, 182.80 b
$2,683.63 b
$ 11,866.43 b
31, 1912.
^ Compiled from a statement supplied by the Associated Charities, December
12.
For nine months only.
421
APPENDICES
C. TOTAL DISBURSEMENTS AND AVERAGE MONTHLY DISBURSEMENTS OF
SAN FRANCISCO ASSOCIATED CHARITIES FOR RELIEF AND AD-
MINISTRATION, BY YEARS. 1907 TO I912
Year
Total yearly expenditures in
1907'
1907'^
1908 .
1909 .
1910 .
191 1 .
1912C
1908 .
1909
1910 .
191 1 .
1912C
Average monthly expenditures
n
Direct
expenditures
for relief
Salaries and
other expendi-
tures for ad-
ministration
$41,119.79
105,35707
79»47374
91,527.76
80,157.06
82,645.21
5,874.26
8,779.76
6,622.81
7,627.31
6,679.76
9,182.80
$12,317.69
31,967-96
26,459.23
27,043.04
27,510.96
24,152.65
1,759.67
2,664.00
2,204.94
2,253.59
2,292.58
2,683.63
Total ex-
penditures
$33A37A^
i37'32503
105,932.97
1 18,570.80
107,668.02
106,797.86
7.633.93
1 1.443-75
8,827.75
9,880.90
8,972.33
1 1,866.43
^ Compiled from a statement supplied by the Associated Charities, December
31, 1912.
b For seven months only.
c For five months only.
422
APPENDIX II
FORMS AND CIRCULARS
Appendix II
FORMS AND CIRCULARS
PAGE
First registration card (Face)
. 425
First registration card (Reverse)
. 426
Food card (Face and Reverse)
. 427
Second registration card (Face)
. 428
Second registration card (Reverse) ....
. 429
Tent record sheet
. 430
Camp commander s report sheet
431
Rehabilitation Committee
Report form
. 432
Paster
433
Circular
• 434
AppHcation Blank
• 435
Circular letter of inquiry
• 436
Bureau of Special Relief
Recommendation form
. • 437
Report form
. . 438
Medical service form
. 439
Order form A
- 440
Order form B
• 441
Bureau of Hospitals
Hospital report sheet
• 442
Application forms for business rehabilitation .
. 443
Application for bonus
. 447
Land and Building Department. Notice .
. . 448
Application for housing grant
. 449
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13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27
TAKE NOTICE.
This card must be presented whenever rations are drawn. When
drawing rations keep it always in plain sight.
This card is not transferable, and will be honored only when
presented by the person to whom it is issued, or by some member of
his family or party.
Good only for 10 days.
Renewable after 10 days at the discretion of the registration
oificer.
Good only at the Relief Station of issue.
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and no rations will be issued to the offenders.
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430
CAMP COMMANDER'S REPORT *
For Week Ending 1906
CAMP NO.
Men
Boys
Women
Girls
Total
OCCUPANTS
••
As per Last Report
ARRIVALS This Week { ^'J^^J"
Total
DEPARTURES
Ejectments
Left Camp
Sent to Hospital
Deduct this ) Total
from Above j
TOTAL OCCUPANTS | ^n^^JJJ^"^
Regular MEAL TICKETS
1
Full Books ) rr 1 -r- 1 ^
Issued 1 ^^"^^^ ^'^^^^'
Part Books 1 rr 1 -r- 1 ^
Issued } Equals Tickets
Total Issued
Total Tickets Redeemed
Special DIET TICKETS Issued
Returned
Cancelled
Special RAW FOOD TICKETS Issued
Returned
Cancelled
i
HEALTH
On Sick List as per Last Report
Since Reported as Well | , ^^^a^5
^ i from Above
Addition to Sick List this Week
Total Sick in Camp
Cases Treated by Doctor] l^sT Report
This Week
Total Cases Treated by Doctor
EMPLOYED
Found Employment This Week
Total Employed Living in Camp
Unable to Work
Sick List
Desire to Work
Total in Camp As Shown Above
!
Camp Commander.
* Actual size of s
heet
13^
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inches
REPORT FORM
REHABILITATION COMMITTEE
Daily Report for
1906
RBCBITTS
Appropriations
Loans Repaid ..
Miscellaneous..
PREVIOUS
TO-DAY
TOTAL
TOTAL
DISBURSEMENTS
Tools
Household
Business
Special Relief ....
Transportation..
Miscellaneous....
TOTAL
Balance on hand
STATEMENT OF APPLICATIONS FINALLY DISPOSED OF
KIND
PREVIOUS
TO-DAY
TOTAL
Tools
Household
Business
Special Relief
Transportation ...
Miscellaneous
TOTAL
ACTION TAKEN
Referred toothers
Refused
Not found
Withdrawn
Assisted
TOTAL
NO. OF INDIVIDUALS.
TRANSPORTATION DETAILS
Comm. contribu-
tion estimated ..
Paid by committee
Estimated bal.
due railroads ....
TO-DAY S AVER-
AGE PAYMENT
TOTAL AVER-
AGE PAYMENT
FOR EACH CASE FOR EACH CASE
LOAN ACCOUNT
Total loans to
date
Total repaid....
Balance out-
standing
APPROPRIATION ACCOl
Appropriations
Other sources..
Total
Disbursements
Balance avail-
able
DAILY STATEMENT OF APPLICATIONS PENDING
Waiting registration
Waiting answers to correspondence . . . .
Action deferred — housing, business, etc.
Waiting recommendation
Waiting approval by sub-committee . . .
Waiting approval by whole committee. .
Approved but checks not drawn
Total cases pending in office
Total cases pending in field
Total cases already disposed of
Total cases to date
MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION
No. of cases received yesterday from sec-
tions and Investigating Bureau
Number of cases received yesterday from
societies
Cases with checks drawn but not signed...
Cases with checks signed but not delivered,
and cases refused
432
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433
APPENDICES
CIRCULAR
F. W. DOIIRMANN, ch.
o k: cSshing" rehabilitation committee
JOHN A. EMERY
JOHN GALLWEY SAN FRANCISCO RELIEF AND RED CROSS FUNDS
ABR.^'ifAM HAAS ^^ corporation)
GOUGH AND GEARY STREETS
KATHARINE C. FELTON, sup.
The Rehabilitation Committee, from this time on, will separate its work under
two distinct divisions; one established for a limited period and designed to meet
the needs of self-supporting families, who cannot, within the means at their com-
mand, obtain necessary household furniture or secure homes suitable to live in; the
other established on a relief basis, and designed to meet the needs of families who,
on account of illness or other misfortune, are for the time being incapable of self-
support.
Under Division One, applications for housing and household furniture will be
considered.
(a) HOUSING: The Committee has arranged with several contractors to build
four and five roomed cottages, with plumbing installed, at prices ranging from $300
to S800. Any self-supporting man or woman, who is the head of a household, and
who, as the result of the disaster, is unable to obtain suitable housing accommoda-
tions at rent within his means, can arrange to buy one of these cottages. If he is un-
able to pay the entire cost, the Committee will make part payment, and when
necessary can arrange that the other part maybe paid by the purchaser in monthly
installments. Not more than $50 in ready money is therefore needed in order to
enable any family to take advantage of this oiTer, and the monthly payment on both
house and lot will not exceed the ordinary rent. The Committee is also ready to
help those who are building cottages according to their own plans, provided the
total cost does not exceed $750. The Committee believes that many families would
do well to avail themselves of this offer to obtain a house of their own at small
cost. Applications will be received by mail only and should be directed to the
" Housing Committee."
(b) HOUSEHOLD FURNITURE. Applications will be received from families
who are self-supporting and have suffered material loss from the disaster. The
income and present resources must be insufficient to enable the family to get neces-
sary household furniture within a reasonable time, without incurring burdensome
debt. No application under this head will be received from anyone to whom the
Committee has already made a grant. Applications will be received by mail only.
Write for a blank to Gough and Geary streets. Mark envelope " Furniture Appli-
cation." No such applications will be received after January 31st, 1907.
Division Two is organized on the basis of relief. Applications will be received
only from families who, through circumstances beyond their control, are incapable
of self-support, and whose applications, even under normal conditions, would be
received by any regularly organized relief society. No grants will be made to single
persons capable of self-support, to families where the husband is earning practi-
cally the same wages as he did before the fire and is capable of supporting those
dependent upon him, or to those who have made no plans for the future and who
ask for money simply to meet the ordinary every-day expenses.
Anyone in need of relief should call at the offices between nine and ten any
morning except Saturday. Applications for relief are not received by mail.
N. B. — After January 31st [1907], no application will be received under
division one except for Housing, and no grant will be made to self-support-
ing families. This rule will be strictly adhered to.
KATHARINE C. FELTON
Superintendent
434
APPLICATION BLANK
APPLICATION BLANK*
No.
REHABILITATION COMMITTEE
San Francisco Relief and Red Cross Funds, Inc.
Dated 1907
Surname
Date
Address
Rooms
Rent
April 17th How long?.
First Name
Age
Occupa-
tion
Earnings
Per Week
Physical
condition
Name Address
of Employer
Man
Woman
Children
Others in Family
Other References
,
'
Insurance: Amount?
What companies?
Savings: Amount?...
Real Estate: Value?.
Other Property?
Attach two letters of reference. If possible one should be from a former
landlord to whom you have paid rent for some time. If you are living in a per-
manent camp, one letter must be from the Camp Commander.
(over)
* On the reverse side space was provided for answers to the following:
What sum do you ask from the Rehabilitation Committee?
State clearly the use to which you wish to put this money
State clearly what have been the circumstances that make this application neces-
sary
435
APPENDICES
r. W. DOHRMANN,
Ctiairman
D. O. CROWLKY
O. K. GUSHING
JOHN A. KMKRY
JOHN GALLWKY
ABRAHAM HAAS
C. F. LKKGE
KATHKRINB C. FELTON
Superintendent
Dear
CIRCULAR LETTER OF INQUIRY
REHABILITATION COMMITTEE
SAN FRANCISCO RELIEF AND
RED CROSS FUNDS
A CORPORATION
GOUGH AND GEARY STS.
SPECIAL COMMITTE
ON HOUSING AND
SHELTER
REV. D. O. CROWLEY,
Chairmj
MISS A. GRIFFITH
DR. A. A. D'ANCONA
MR. JOSEPH C. QUEEN
MR. O. ALBERT BERNARD
San Francisco,
has made application to avail himself
of the offer of this Committee to assist in the
refurnishing of homes, an offer which you have
probably seen in the daily papers, and has given
your name to us as his principal reference.
In sending you this letter, the Rehabilita-
tion Committee urges you to consider that the
great majority of those who apply for relief are
strangers to the Committee, and that it cannot
deal with their applications either justly or
quickly unless those who do know them are will-
ing to consider themselves as in a sense trus-
tees of this fund, and to share with the Commit-
tee some of the responsibility of its adminis-
tration .
In this present investigation, the Rehabili-
tation Committee expects to rely largely upon
the information it receives from the references
of applicants, and therefore deems it especially
important to emphasize at this time its need for
accurate and full information. Anything that is
written is regarded as entirely confidential.
0. K. CUSHING,
Acting Chairman.
QUESTIONS
How long has Mr. been in your employ?
Wages per week at present?
Is the work likely to be permanent?
Are you in a position to state whether this ap-
plicant is temperate, honest, and of good char-
acter?
Can you freely recommend the granting of this
application?
K. B.--Send reply in enclosed directed envelope.
436
RECOMMENDATION FORM
RECOMMENDATION FORM
FORM FOR SPECIAL RELIEF
In duplicate, both copies to be forwarded to the Executive Officer. Issues
to be made only to women and children in need; men only when sick and des-
titute. Following questions must be answered in every case.
CAMP.
DATE
1907
SUPERINTENDENT OF SPECIAL RELIEF,
SIR:
I HAVE RECOMMENDED THAT THE FOLLOWING BE SUPPLIED:
Name of Applicant in full and Age
Wages
Full Name of Parents or Husband
or Wife
If not Working, why?
Present Address
Means of Support
Address Prior to April i8th, 1906
Number in Family
Occupation
Relief Already Received from the
Rehabilitation Committee
ARTICLES
Approved:
Approved:
Executive Officer
Camp Commander
437
APPENDICES
O
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438
MEDICAL SERVICE FORM
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439
APPENDICES
ORDER FORM— A*
ORIGINAL
REPEAT
No
DATE.
BUREAU OF SPECIAL RELIEF
Date
ORIGINAL
ORDER
Surname
First Name: Man's Woman's
Address
Address April i8, 1906?
Number in family? Ages
Adult Males? Ages
Adult Females? Ages
Name Occupation Where Employed Amount per Week
Amt. Reed, from Rehab. Com. $ Date.
How expended?
Insurance? Companies?
Savings Amount? Bank:...
Real Estate: Value:
Location:
Other resources:
Residence Continuous in S. F. since April i8th?
Will require relief for:
Reason for requiring relief:
Physician attending? Paid?
Articles required:
Meat Order.
Approved.
* Printed with duplicates on yellow paper for carbon copies.
440
ORDER FORM — B
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APPENDICES
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if
any
Address
1 Wi
<**
Be-
fore
Occupa-
tion
■ u
Be-
fore
Mar-
ried
No. of
Chil-
dren
c?5
1
O
c
V.
o
X
N
442
t <
APPLICATION FORMS FOR BUSINESS REHABILITATION
APPLICATION FORMS FOR BUSINESS REHABILITATION
[form a^— general statement, face] Ap. No
APPLICATION FOR BUSINESS REHABILITATION
1. Full name Age
2. Present residence
3. Residence prior to April 18, 1906
4. Present occupation and place of employment
5. Physical condition
6. Nature of business to be re-established
7. How long in this business?
8. Location of business on April 18, 1906
9. How long at above address?
10. Prior address
1 1 . Has location for re-establishment of the business been secured?
12. If so, where, and under what conditions?
13. If no location has been secured, what is the outlook for a definite and
permanent location?
14. Statementof losses: Amount. Where? Amount. Where?
a. Store f. Houses
b. Oflfice g. Furniture
c. Fixtures h. Clothing
d. Stock i. Misc. (household)
e. Misc. (business)
15. On which of above has insurance been collected, and how much?
16. Statement of resources:
Insurance uncollected, $ In what companies?
Savings, $ Which bank, or where?.
Real estate, $ Location
Stock, etc., on hand at present Where?
443
APPENDICES
Application Forms for Business Rehabilitation (Cont.)
[form a — general statement, reverse]
17. How much owing on real estate, and to whom?
18. Is indebtedness covered by mortgage?
19. When is mortgage due, and has interest been paid to date?
20. Has applicant any other income, from any source whatever, such as
pensions, stock dividends, annuities, interests, etc.?
21. Statement of assets at time of fire (including debits upon applicant's
books, and stating how much of the amount is now collectible)
22. Statement of liabilities (including all unpaid invoices at time of fire).
23. Names and present addresses of firms from whom goods were purchased.
24. Names of others, firms or individuals, well acquainted with applicant
in a business way. (Secure from two or more of these firms letters addressed
to the Rehabilitation Committee, certifying to applicant's business standing.
Send these in with your application)
2$. Personal references, names and present addresses. (Send in letters from
two or more of these)
26. Others in family:
NAME
. 'Relationship ' Present
^^^ \ to Applicant Address
Present j Name and Address
Occupation 1 Present Employer
Av. Mo.
Inc.
27. Were any members besides the applicant interested in the business before
the fire, and, if so, in what capacity?
444
• APPLICATION FORMS FOR BUSINESS REHABILITATION
Application Forms for Business Rehabilitation (Cont.)
[form b — business] Ap. No.
I. Nature of business to be re-established
2 Location April i8, 1906: Proposed location:
3. Number and size of rooms for
a. Store a.
h. Shop h.
c. Other use c.
4. Number of employees
Schedule of Schedule of pro-
prior location posed location
5. Fixtures, total value % %
(Submit itemized list of same on separate sheet attached. In listing
proposed expenditures, include only those articles absolutely necessary
to a start.)
6. Stock
a. Cost, wholesale % $
h. Sale price, retail $ $
(Submit itemized list on separate sheet attached. In listing proposed
stock, include only those articles absolutely necessary to a start.)
7. Rent, per month $ %
(or) lease, for year ..; per month. ...$ %
8. Labor, per month % %
9. Miscellaneous, not included above % $
10. Totalmonthly expense of business $ %
1 1. Net monthly income of business % %
12. Average monthly income of family aside
from business $ %
13. Total income, all sources % %
14. Total monthly living expense of family $ $
15. Margin of profit % %
16. Can repay to Relief and Red Cross Fund, monthly $
445
APPENDICES
Application Forms for Business Rehabilitation (Cont.)
[form c — lodging house]
Ap. No.
I. Location
a. April i8, 1906
b. Proposed location.
Schedule of Schedule of
prior location proposed location
per month per month
2. Number of rooms.
Number available for subletting
3. Rent $.
(or) lease for year....; monthly payment $.
4. Water $.
5. Light $.
6. Labor $.
7. Laundry $•
%.
8. Insurance.
9. Instalments on additional furniture %.
10. Miscellaneous, not included above %.
1 1. Total monthly expense of house S.
12. Total monthly income of house $.
13. Net monthly income of house $.
14. Average monthly income of family from
other sources $.
15. Total income of family from all sources %.
16. Total monthly living expenses of family,
aside from expenses of house % %.
17. Margin of profit % %.
18. Can repay to Relief and Red Cross Fund, monthly %.
446
APPLICATION FOR BONUS
APPLICATION FOR BONUS
CIRCULAR 2-B. FILE NO.
APPLICATION FOR BONUS
Thomas Magee, Chairman Land and Building Department,
San Francisco Relief and Red Cross Funds,
Union Square, San Francisco.
Dear Sir: —
Having been burned out of my home, situated on the land described
in the diagram below, by the fire which commenced April i8, 1906, I hereby
apply for a bonus from Relief and Red Cross Funds at your disposal to assist
in rebuilding.
_l I I L
(Mark on plat description by streets,
location in block, and size of lot.)
n I 1 r
I am a citizen of San Francisco and was a resident thereof at the time of
the fire.
At the time of the fire I was in 'possession of said property, and was and am
now the holder of the record title, free of any incumbrance, except as
follows:
My family consists of
The kind and size of house I intend to build is as follows:
I intend to build by (State whether you will do your own work or whether
you will employ labor.)
Estimated cost of house,
Estimated number of rooms,
Burned residence address,
Present address,
Present occupation,
Name, Address,
References; •]
(Please attach letters of reference from all persons whose names you use.)
Dated, (Signed)
San Francisco, Cal.,
, 1906.
[overI
447
APPENDICES
LAND AND BUILDING DEPARTMENT. NOTICE*
CIRCULAR 1-B.
THE SAN FRANCISCO RELIEF AND RED CROSS FUNDS (a corpora-
tion) is prepared to receive applications for assistance from its Land and Build-
ing Department under any of the three plans following:
(i) BONUS; To any lot owner in the burned district a bonus of one-
third the cost of a new house, bonus not to exceed I500, will be given to aid him
in erecting a home. This bonus will be paid to the contractor as his la^t pay-
ment, and after the building is finished. If lot owner chooses to erect his home
with his own hands, the value of the house will be estimated when it is finished
and one-third its value will be given to the lot owner. The sum of $500,000
has been set aside for this purpose. This offer to remain open until October i,
1906, unless fund is exhausted before that date. No more than one bonus to
be paid to one person.
(2) PURCHASE (Cash or Installment): Cottages, two-story dwellings
and flats will be built by the corporation and sold for cash or on the installment
plan, and no interest will be charged on deferred payments. A small cash pay-
ment down and a percentage of total cost to be paid monthly. To illustrate:
A home-seeker wishing to buy a $300 lot with a I600 house on it (containing
four rooms and bath) can purchase it from the corporation at cost as follows:
Monthly payments of I15 to be made for sixty months; 5 per cent of the total
cost ($45) to be paid down, when a receipt will be given for the payments
covering the first three months; then a payment of $15 a month to be made
for the remaining fifty-seven months. Taxes will be paid by the corporation
and charged to the purchaser. When the $900 and taxes have been fully paid,
a deed will be given. The contract of purchase will be non-assignable. A sum
not exceeding $2,500,000 will be set aside for this purpose. Any head of
family who resided in San Francisco before April 18, 1906, and now engaged
in some business or employment is eligible to apply, preference being given to
those now living in tents.
(3) LOANS: Not exceeding $500,000 will be used in making loans to
those — whether owners or tenants — whose places of residence in San Fran-
cisco were burned in the fire, such loans to be used in building new dwellings
anywhere in San Francisco on a lot owned by the person to whom such loan
is made, such loan to equal one-third of the cost of the building, not, however,
to exceed in any case $1,000, and no more than one loan is to be made to any
one person or family. Security for such loan is to be taken by way of first or
second mortgage upon the building and lot if necessary, the borrower to pay
3 per cent net interest. This offer to remain open until the first day of October,
1906, unless this appropriation of $500,000 is sooner exhausted.
Applicants are required to use the blank provided for the particular kind
of assistance desired in each case.
No applications will be received except by mail.
Applications will be investigated and acted upon as rapidly as possible, and
in the order of their receipt.
Thomas Magee,
Chairman Land and Building Department,
UNION SQUARE, San Francisco.
* Printed on reverse of Application for Bonus.
448
APPLICATION FOR HOUSING
APPLICATION FOR HOUSING GRANT
SUB-COMMITTEE ON HOUSING
APPLICATION
No
Date
...1907
Surname
Address j Rooms
Rent
At present
April 17th How long?
First Name
Age
Occupation
Earnings
Per Week
Physical
Condition
Man
Woman
Children
Others in family.
Name and address of present employer..
How long working for present employer.
Name and address of former employer...
How long working for former employer. .
Attach two letters of reference. If possible, one should be from a
former landlord to whom you have paid rent for some time. If you are
living in a permanent camp, one letter must be from the Camp Commander.
Description of lot
What evidence of ownership can you give? Have you a deed?
Tax receipt? Contract for purchase?
Date when you bought lot
How much paid? How much unpaid?
What monthly installments do you pay?
Attach plan of contemplated house. (A drawing prepared by applicant,
showing floor plan and dimensions will answer)
Estimated cost of house Of lumber
Of hardware Of labor
Cost of plumbing and sanitary fittings Water connections
Sewer connections
What amount of the total cost of the house are you able to meet?
What amount do you ask from the Relief Funds?
(Sign your name here)
It is absolutely necessary for you to have a contractor's or builder's
estimate of the entire cost of the house, specifying in detail the cost of building
material and plumbing.
N. B. — Be sure to return this blank after it is filled out, and use the
enclosed addressed envelope.
29
449
INDEX
INDEX
Accounting: for relief in cash and in
kind, 369; relief, use of word
"claim" in, 96; system of Relief
and Red Cross Funds, criticisms
of, answered, 98, 99
Administration: amount expended
by Bureau of Special Relief for,
148; amount required for, by De-
partment of Relief and Rehabili-
tation, estimated, 121; expenses of
American National Red Cross, 35;
of emergency relief, essential fea-
tures of, 369
Advisory Committee on Charitable
Institutions: formed, 142; rec-
ommendations of, 143, 144, 145
After-care: lessons regarding, learned
from study of San Francisco relief
work, 372
Age: of possible rehabihtation, 365
Aged : applications of, have precedence,
123; clothing issued for, 57; ex-
penditures for Ingleside Camp and
permanent home for, 220; lessons
regarding care of, learned from
Rehef Survey, 372, 373; number
of, in Camp 6 and Ingleside Camp,
322-324; presence of, in Relief
Home, special causes for, 356, 357;
problem faced in dealing with,
359-362; recommendations regard-
ing, by Dr. Devine, 16; shelter for,
provision of, 23, 321-324; special
diet for, 48; use of pensions and
direct grants for, 364-365
Ages: of applicants aided by grants
for business rehabihtation, 176;
of applicants aided under bonus
plan, 243 ; of apphcants aided under
cottage plan, 225; of apphcants
aided under grant and loan plan,
261; of apphcants for rehabihta-
tion, 154; of inmates of Ingleside
Camp, compared with ages of
Ages {continued)
almshouse inmates, 330; of prin-
cipal breadwinners in families ap-
plying to Associated Charities,
1907-1909, 289, 290, 291
Alameda: location of, 3
Alaska: destinations included in Pa-
cific States, 66
Alcatraz Island: location of, 7
Almshouse, San Francisco: and
camps, movement of inmates be-
tween, 325; ages of inmates at,
330; applicants for relief who had
been at, 354, 355; capacity, con-
dition, and situation of, 321;
movement in and out of, compared
with that of Relief Home, 356;
nativity of inmates of, 331; occupa-
tions of inmates of, 333; proportion
of inmates and admissions to popula-
tion of San Francisco, 356; records
of, before fire, 363; transfer of
inmates of, to Ingleside Camp, 323
Almshouses of United States: ages
of inmates, 330; conjugal condition
of inmates, 329; occupations of
inmates, ^2>2>
Alterations: in contract houses
erected under grant and loan plan,
terms on which made, 269
Americans: among refugees, 75. See
also Nationalities; United States
Angel Island: Fort McDowell on, 7
Applicants and Families of Appli-
cants. See Relief; Rehabilitation;
Business rehabilitation; Bonus;
Cottage plan; Grant and loan plan;
Associated Charities; Ingleside
Camp
Application Bureau: work of, put
on relief basis, 130
Applications for Rehabilitation:
action on, in August, 1906, 120-
124; and grants, time elapsing
453
INDEX
Applications for Rehabilitation
(co/ttifiued)
between, 163-165,370; by Chinese,
95; conditions on which received
at different periods, 129, 130, 131;
disposal of, 152, 153, 154; in
business, number and disposal of,
173, 174; investigation of, 116,
117, 118; most numerous at time
of uncertainty as to funds, 121;
nature of, 153; number received
from United Irish Societies, 140;
numbers received in different
periods, 164; passed upon by sub-
committees and by single mem-
bers of Rehabilitation Committee,
160; places at which received, 118;
reasons for refusal of, by nature of
application, 166; receipt of, sus-
pended, except when for medical
aid or food, 122
Applications to Associated Chari-
ties: in years before and after
disaster, 283, 284
Appropriations: to departments of
Corporation based on budgets, 99
Architects and Builders, Board of:
as expert counsel on plans for
dwellings, 22
Area: burned, 4, 5
Arizona: persons sent from San Fran-
cisco to, 66
Army in the San Francisco Disaster:
and Citizens' Committee carried
emergency work, 14; and Red
Cross, co-operation betw-een, in re-
ducing rations, etc., 44; called on
to guard supplies by sub-com-
mittee on relief of hungry, 36;
called on to take control of relief
work, 38, 39; camps brought under
control of, 78; clothing and house-
hold distribution in charge of, 56;
confiscation of supplies by, 39;
donations of clothing and blankets
by, 56; expenditures for housing by,
220; expenditures for subsistence
stores by, 52; extracts from article
on, 383; headquarters of Pacific
DiN^sion in San Francisco, 7;
hospitals and medical supplies
under, 92; Ingleside Camp ad-
ministered by officer of, 324;
realization by, of need of per-
manent shelter, 221; relief stations
Army in the San Francisco Disaster
(continued)
opened by, 41; relief stations re-
ported by, 42; report of medical
department of, 91; sanitary work
of, 90; shelter furnished by, on
public land, 84; shoes and cloth-
ing from stores of, 55; supplies
purchased by, 30; tents provided
by, 69, 70; value of aid to Japanese
by, 95; value of shelter furnished
by, 87
Army, United States: importance of
utilizing services of, in disasters,
369
Ashe, Miss: use of home of, suggested
by Miss Felton, 134
Associated Charities of San Fran-
cisco: action by, in family cases
received at Ingleside Camp, 338-
343; age of principal breadwinner
in families applying to, in 1907-
1909, 289, 290, 291; applicants to,
among inmates of Ingleside Camp,
336; applicants to whom aid was
refused by, 310-314; applications
for rehabilitation received at, 118;
applications to, in years before
and after fire, 283, 284; arrange-
ment with Relief Corporation re-
garding destitute patients, 93;
asked to invite conference of
charitable agencies, 132; building
occupied by, escaped fiire, 283;
case records of, before fire, 363;
cases classified as having lived or
not having lived in burned area,
and as aided or refused, 285; cases
of single and widowed inmates of
Ingleside Camp who applied to,
352-354; cases of, used in study
of Ingleside Camp inmates, 327;
causes of disability among appli-
cants to, before and after fire, 293;
caution in giving justified, 312;
emergency and temporary relief
given by, 300; emergency funds
supplied to district offices by,
145; expenditure for care of sick
by, 301; expenditure for housing
by, 310; family types among
applicants for relief, 288, 290;
friction with Rehabilitation Com-
mittee soon overcome, 14; grants
by Rehabilitation Committee to
applicants who later applied to.
454
INDEX
Associated Charities of San Fran-
cisco (continued)
299; grants to, 132, 133, 134;
investigation of applicants for
rehabilitation by, 113; methods
and results of work discussed,
316-318; moving and repairing of
cottages by, 85, 86, 222, 223, 232,
237; nativity of applicants for
relief, 287, 291; nature of relief
problem taken up by, in 1907, 281,
282; need of work of, following
disaster, 372; number dependent
on, when last camp closed, 87,
88; number of children in families
applying to, 292; occupations of
applicants to, 294, 295, 296; pen-
sions and grants given by, 306-
309; receipts and disbursements
of, for two years following June
I, 1907, 309; period of taking over
rehabilitation work by, 112; posi-
tion as a charitable agency before
and after fire, 282, 283; reasons
for refusals of aid by, 312, 313;
receipts and disbursements of,
419-421; Rehabilitation Com-
mittee notified of withdrawal of
staff of, 132, 133; rehabilitation
records of burned-out families
applying to, 291; relations with
Finance Committee and Rehabili-
tation Bureau, 14; relief given by,
types of, 299, 300; return of extra
rations demanded by worker of,
44; secretary made superintendent
of district work, 113; share in
rehabilitation work, 14, 15, 120;
study of work of, 298; work en-
larged when Bureau of Hospitals
closed, 134; work in years follow-
ing disaster, 315-318; work for
unemployed provided by, 304, 305 ;
work of Employment Bureau of,
302,303
Audit: of all relief in cash possible,
369. See also Accounting
Auditing Committee of Finance
Committee: membership of, 276
Auditors of Accounts of Corpora-
tion: judgment of, 99
Australia: cash contributions for
relief of San Francisco made in,
34; natives of, among refugees,
74, 76; natives of, in San Fran-
cisco in 1900, 74
Austria: cash contributions for relief
of San Francisco made in, 34;
natives of, among refugees, 74, 75,
76, 77; natives of, in San Fran-
cisco in 1900, 74
Auxiliary Societies: relations of
Rehabilitation Committee with,
137-141
Bakeries: arrangements with and
supplies furnished by, 36, 37, 38
Barracks: built by sub-committee
on housing the homeless, 69; de-
fects of, 70; described, 70, 71;
estimates of persons living in, 77;
supervision of, in recommenda-
tions of Dr. Devine, 17. See also
Camps
Baths: in houses of applicants aided
under bonus plan, 248; in houses
of applicants aided under cottage
plan, 231; in houses of applicants
aided under grant and loan plan,
267
Belgium: cash contributions for relief
of San Francisco made in, 34
Benicia Barracks: at head of bay, 7
Berkeley: location of, 3; witness who
lived in, reported lack of panic, 6
BiCKNELL, Ernest P.: made national
director of American National
Red Cross, 29; organizations repre-
sented by, 9, loi; plan sub-
mitted by, as secretary of Execu-
tive Commission, 20; quotation
from article in Charities and the
Commons by, 6-7; secretary and
member of Rehabilitation Com-
mittee of Finance Committee, 21;
share in forming Board of Trustees
of Relief and Red Cross Funds, 29;
Special Relief Bureau organized
on plan of, iii, 146; succeeded
Dr. Devine as representative of
Red Cross, 27
Bills and Demands, Department of:
chairman and duties of, 399;
created, 26; disposal of claims by,
97; payment on claims, 98; work
of, completed, 28
Blocks: number of, burned after
earthquake, 4
455
INDEX
Board of Architects and Builders:
as expert counsel on plans for
dwellings, 22
Board of Trustees of Relief and
Red Cross Funds. See Trustees
Bonus: additional grants to recipients
of, 248; ages of applicants aided
by, 243; conjugal condition of
families aided by, 242; cost of
houses built by applicants aided
by, 249; form of application for,
447-448; indebtedness carried by
families aided by, 247; nationality
of applicants receiving aid by,
241; occupations in families aided
by, 244; prosperity of applicants
aided by, 277; rooms in houses of
applicants aided by, 249; rooms
occupied by families aided by, 250;
value of lots owned by applicants
aided by, 246
Bonus Plan: by whom proposed and
recommended, 22; expenditures
for houses erected under, 220;
nature of opportunity offered by,
237; number of houses erected
under, 219; outline and history
of, 239, 240; policy pursued under,
discussed, 251, 252
Boston Associated Charities: sec-
retary of, appointed secretary to
Dr. Devine, 14
Bradley, Captain: quoted on quality
of clothing distributed, 55
Bread: arrangements regarding pay-
ments for, 38; supplies of, 37
Bread Lines: formation and compo-
sition of, 36; increase and de-
crease in, 43, 44; recommendation
of Dr. Devine regarding, 17; re-
duction of, followed by introduc-
tion of kitchen system, 50
British Columbia: destinations in-
cluded in Pacific States, 66
Bubonic Plaglt:: in camp and city,
29
Budgets: appropriations to depart-
ments of Corporation based on,
99; for departments of Relief Cor-
poration, prepared by chairmen, 27
Budgets, Family: of cases under care
of Associated Charities, study of,
316
BuENA Vista School: headquarters
of Civil Section V, 42
Building Fund: proposed, account of ,
in Charities and the Commons, 216
Building, Subsidized: differences of
opinion regarding, 22
Buildings: facing burned area, 5;
number and classes of, destroyed
by fire, 4, 5. See also Houses;
Housing
Bureaus. See Employment Bureau;
Hospitals, Bureau of; Red Cross
Special Relief and Rehabilitation
Bureau; Registration Bureau; Re-
lief Stations, Bureau of Con-
solidated; Transportation Bureau
Business Ownership: status regard-
ing, in families aided under bonus
plan, 244
Business Rehabilitation: announce-
ment concerning, in newspapers,
172-173; application forms for,
441-444; applications for, granted
and refused, 153, 154; applications
for, passed on by sub-committees
and by members of Rehabilitation
Committee, 160; applications for,
set aside temporarily, 123; busi-
ness status of applicants receiving
aid for, by occupations, 196-211;
changes in composition of families
receiving aid for, 177; conjugal
condition of family groups re-
ceiving aid for, 175, 176; grants
for, average amount of, 184; grants
for, by what bodies made, 174;
grants for, confined chiefly to
families experienced in special
lines, 184, 185; grants for, num-
ber and amounts expended, 157,
158; grants for, size of, 165, 166;
in different periods, 171, 172;
nationality of heads of families
receiving aid for, 175, 176; need of
supervision in, chief lesson of
study, 371; number of rooms in
residences occupied by families
receiving aid for, 180; policy of,
1 71-173, 211; premises occupied
and rentals paid by families re-
ceiving aid for, 178; proposed
occupations of applicants receiv-
ing aid for, 184; reasons for refusal
of applications for, 166; reasons
456
INDEX
Business Rehabilitation (continued)
for success and failure of those
receiving aid for, 187-195; re-
fusals to grant aid for, study of,
208-210; rentals paid by families
receiving aid for, 179, 181-183;
re-opening of cases where principal
grant was for, 161; results of,
186-187, 210-21 1 ; resumed after
suspension, 128; self-supporting
individuals in families receiving
aid for, 176; single and widowed
inmates of Ingleside Camp apply-
ing for, 344-346; status of appli-
cants receiving, for trade, 207
Business Rehabilitation Committee
(Sub-committee VI): applications
to, number and action on, 173,
174; appointment, activities and
aims of, 172, 173; chairman of,
125; extreme caution displayed
by, in granting aid, 211; grants
by, in cases investigated, 174
Business Status : of applicants receiv-
ing aid for business rehabilitation,
186, 187, 193
California: length of residence in,
of inmates of Ingleside Camp,
334; persons sent from San Fran-
cisco to places in, 66, 67, 68; pop-
ulation of, conjugal condition com-
pared with that of Ingleside Camp
inmates, 329. See Governor of
California
California, Department of: head-
quarters at San Francisco, 7;
rations purchased by army from,
39
California Jockey Club: offer of
race track stables for camp by,
322
Camp Commanders : and staff at head-
quarters, emergency cases always
handled rapidly by, 165; form of
report by, 429
Camp Cottages, 221-238; a necessity
to meet needs of poorest class of
refugees, 237; and housing grants,
158; assignment of, to different
classes of population, 82, 83; con-
struction of, under Corporation, 82;
cost of building, 87, 220, 221;
cost of moving and of repairs and
Camp Cottages (continued)
improvements, 232; families oc-
cupying, on re- visit, 223; general
comments on, 278, 371; number
and capacity of, 219, 220; number
assigned to Chinese, 95; other aid
given by Rehabilitation Com-
mittee to those receiving, 229;
plan regarding lease of, 83; re-
moval of, from camps, 83, 85, 222;
visits to, after removal, 222. See
also Cottage Plan
Camp for Chinese: location and
population of, 95
Camp in South Park: described, 84
Camp Lobos: closing of, 87. See also
Lobos Square
Camps: clothing supplied to residents
of, 57; congestion in, 230, 231;
cost of shelter given by, 86, 87;
effort to concentrate refugees need-
ing continued help in, 44; eject-
ments from, 79, 80; increase in
population of, due to return of
refugees, 77; in different civil
sections, 12; official and ''per-
manent," 78-84; official list of,
404; of early barrack type, de-
scribed, 70, 71; plans for, formu-
lated by committee on housing
the homeless, 70; population of,
by months and by composition, 81 ;
recommendations regarding, by
Dr. Devine, 17; records of distri-
bution furnished by, 42; rehabili-
tation policy regarding families
in, 109, no; removal from, 29,
85; three essentials for tenants
laid down by General Greely,
79; under army control, 78; un-
official, 79; work of building
cottages in, 221, 222; work of
Bureau of Special Relief for resi-
dents of, 149
Camps and Warehouses, Depart-
ment of: care of camps passed
to, from army, 82; chairman, duties
of, 399; civil sections used by,
12; clothing suppHed to residents
of camps by, 57; cost of mainten-
ance of camps by, 87; crea-
tion of, 26, 109; not responsible
for typhoid fever, 91; Special
ReHef Bureau called on for aid
by, 149; status of work one year
457
INDEX
Camps and Warehouses, Depart-
ment OF {continued)
and two years after earthquake,
28,29; work of, defined, no; work
of Executive Commission taken
over by, no
Canada: cash contributions for relief
of San Francisco made in, 34;
eastern, destinations in, included
with "East," 66; natives of,
among refugees, 74, 76; natives
of, in San Francisco, in 1900, 74
Cape Colony: cash contributions for
relief of San Francisco made in,
by Americans, 34
Capital: available for applicants re-
ceiving aid for business rehabili-
tation, 193-195; possessed by
applicants receiving grants for
rehabilitation in personal and
domestic service, 201-205; Pos-
sessed by applicants receiving
grants for rehabilitation in trade,
207, 208; relation to success in
cases where manufacturing and
mechanical lines were undertaken
with rehabilitation funds, 199;
relation to success in cases where
professional work was taken up
with rehabilitation funds, 198
Cards: for use of applicants at food
station, 37
Cards, Registration. See Registra-
tion Cards
Carloads of Stores: number de-
livered at San Francisco, 30
Cases: family, at Ingleside Camp,
337-343; of applicants to Asso-
ciated Charities, social character
of, 286-294; rehabilitation, re-
opening of, 160-165
Cash: contributions received to June
I, 1909, 33, 34; possibility of
audit of all relief in, 369; received
by American National Red Cross,
disposition of, 35
Census, United States: figures on
almshouse population of United
States cited, 333; population fig-
ures for San Francisco cited, 75.
See also Ah?ishoiisej Safi Fran-
cisco
Centralized System of rehabilitation
work, 124-133, 135,370
Certificate of Incorporation: is-
sued, 26
Ceylon: cash contributions for relief
of San Francisco made in, 34
Chamber of Commerce, American,
in Paris: cash contributions made
by, 34
Chamber of Commerce, New York:
authority of Finance Committee
recognized by, 10; business re-
habilitation resumed after transfer
of funds by, 128; incorporation
urged by, 25; restriction on
funds transferred to Corporation
by, 100; use of funds for per-
manent relief urged by, 15
Charitable Organizations : grants
to, by denominations, and nature
of work, 405
Charities. See Associated Charities
Charities and the Commons: account of
proposed building fund in, 216;
accounts of conditions in San
Francisco, quoted from, 6, 77, 78
Charities Endorsement Committee,
145 (table and note)
Charity Organization Societies:
district expenditures under, 120;
provided trained workers, 14;
transportation agreement, 65
Chicago Commercial Association:
represented by Ernest P. Bicknell,
lOI
Chicago Fire Commission: limitation
of grants by, 109
Chicago Mayor's Committee: funds
of, represented by Ernest P.
Bicknell, loi
Chicago Special Relief Committee:
experience with certificates from
pastors and benevolent associa-
tions, 117, 137
Children: in families aided imder the
cottage plan, 224; in families apply-
ing to Associated Charities before
and after fire, 292; in families of
applicants for rehabilitation, 156,
157
Children's Agency: work of, 317
Children's Hospital: use of, sug-
gested by Miss Felton, 134
Children's Institutions: co-opera-
tion between, following fire, 317
458
INDEX
China: cash contributions for relief
of San Francisco made in, 34, 95;
natives of, among refugees, 74,
76; natives of, in San Francisco
in 1900, 74. See also Chinese
Chinatown: burned out, 4
Chinese: among refugees, 74-76;
camp and cottages for, 95 ; deterred
from asking aid by feeling against
them, 95; relief of, 94, 95
Circular: on requirements for satis-
factory investigations for the Re-
habilitation Committee, 139, 140;
stating change to purely relief
basis for applications, 130
Citizens' Committee: and army,
carried emergency work, 14; ap-
pointment of, 8; barracks built
and tents provided by sub-com-
mittee of, 69; cash contributions
received by, 34; dissolution of,
10; interesting items in minutes
of, 10; meeting places, 9; sub-
committees, 9, 36; transportation
committee organized by railroads
recognized as authoritative by,
59; transportation sub-committee
had little to do, 58
City of San Francisco. See San
Francisco
Civic Relief Bureau: opened by
Associated Charities after fire,
317
Civil Chairmen of Sections: func-
tions of, 42, 56
Civil Sections : and military districts
identical, 12, 40; camps in, 12;
closure of, 124; committees, agents
and workers in, 113; families and
individuals registered in, 45; hous-
ing of registered families in dif-
ferent, 72, 73-75; nationality of
heads of families of refugees in,
77; organizations using, 12; re-
lief stations in, 41, 42
Claims: character of, 96, 97; disposal
of, 97; payments upon, 98
Clearing House of Information
needed, 92
Clergy: stereotyped forms of recom-
mendation used by some of, 115.
See also Ministers; Pastors
Climatic Conditions of San Francisco
favorable, 7
Clothing: and bedding, relief in,
second in order of urgency, 12, 13;
and bedding, carloads of, received
at San Francisco, 30; distribu-
tion of, 55-58; donated, condition
of, 55; recommendations of Dr.
Devine regarding, 17
Clubs, Improvement: in camps, 89
Colombia, United States of: cash
contributions for relief of San
Francisco made by Americans in,
34
Colorado: persons sent from San
Francisco to, 66
Columbia, Department of the:
rations purchased of army from,
39
Columbia Park Boys' Club: work of
residents after destruction of, 88
Complaints : against hot meal kitchens,
52
Conference at Fort Mason, April
24th, II
Congestion: during camp life, 230,
231; on lots to which camp cot-
tages were removed, 233
Congress, United States: visited by
San Francisco citizens with regard
to building fund, 216
Congressional Appropriation:
amount and distribution of, 30, 34;
claims paid out of, 98; expenditure
from, for housing, 220; supplied
funds for sanitary work, 90
Conjugal Condition: of families
aided under bonus plan, 242; of
families aided under cottage plan,
224; of families aided under grant
and loan plan, 260; of family
groups receiving business rehabili-
tation, 175, 176; of Ingleside pop-
ulation, 328. See also Family
types
Construction, Housing: expense and
difficulties of, 217
Contract Houses : built under grant
and loan plan, defects of, 268
Contractors: difficulty of securing
reliable, 217; who built cottages,
arrangements with, 221, 222
Contracts: grant and loan, regulations
covering, 253, 254
459
INDEX
Contributions: by Japan and China,
94» 95 '» cash, received to June i,
IQ09, S3' 34*» desirability of send-
ing, without restrictions, 369 ;
sources of, 30-35
" Convalescents'' at Ingleside Camp,
365
Cooking: in streets, 40
Corporation: See San Francisco Re-
lief and Red Cross Funds, a Cor-
poration
Corporation and Board of Trustees
OF Relief axd Red Cross Funds:
contributions to Associated Chari-
ties by, 283, 309. See also San
Francisco Relief and Red Cross
Funds, a Corporation; Trustees of
Relief and Red Cross Funds, Board of
Cost: incurred by or in behalf of
applicants for cottages occupied
under cottage plan, 232; of aid
under grant and loan plan, 257-
259; of camp cottages and tene-
ments, 87, 221; of houses built
under bonus plan, 248, 249; of
houses erected by housing com-
mittee contractors under grant
and loan plan, 270; of Ingleside
Camp, 327; of moving cottages
from camps, and of repairs and
improvements, 232; of shelter
given by camps, 86, 87. See also
Expenditures
Cost of Lfvtng: in San Francisco, in-
vestigation of, 316
Cottage Plan: ages, sexes, health,
and responsibilities of apphcants
receiving aid under, 225; con-
jugal condition of and children in
families aided under, 224; costs
incurred by or in behalf of appli-
cants for cottages under, 232;
financial status of families aided
under, 229; housing before and
after fire of families aided by, 229-
234; incomes of families aided
under, 228; nationality of appli-
cants receiving aid under, 223;
occupations of men in families
aided under, 226; wages of men in
families aided under, 227. See also
Camp cottages; Cottage settlements
Cottage Settlements: conditions in
two. described, 234-237
Criticisms: of work of Associated
Charities commonly made, 311
Critics : on distribution - of funds
answered, 237
Crocker School: used as clothing
warehouse, 56
Crowley, Rev. D. O.: adviser to
Industrial Bureau, 88; chairman
of Sub-committee V, 125; position
of Archbishop Riordan on Re-
habilitation Committee delegated
to, 21 .
Cuba: cash contributions for relief of
San Francisco made in, 34
Cushing, Oscar K.: chairman of Red
Cross Special Relief and Re-
habilitation Committee, 14; chair-
man of Sub-committee I, 125;
member and treasurer of Rehabili-
tation Committee, 21; secretary of
committee on transportation and
executive head of transportation
work, 59
Day Nurseries: in camps, 89
Deaths: as causes of disability among
applicants to Associated Charities,
293; at Ingleside Camp, 327;
by violence, number of, following
disaster, 5; in families of appli-
cants aided under bonus plan,
242; in families of applicants
aided under cottage plan, 225; in
families of applicants aided under
grant and loan plan, 260, 261
Delays: between applications and
grants or loans for housing, 255.
See also Time
Denmark: natives of, among refugees,
74, 76, 77; natives of, in San Fran-
cisco in 1900, 74
Departments of California ant)
Columbia. See California; Colum-
bia
Departments of Corporation: names,
duties, and chairmen of, 399, 400.
See also names of departments
Depentdency: applicants to Associ-
ated Charities grouped according
to causes of, 297; situation in San
Francisco after fire, compared with
that before fijre, 281-286, 315-318
460
INDEX
Desmond, Mr.: sent by Los Angeles
relief committee to establish hot
meal kitchens, 49
Desmond Construction Company:
hot meal kitchens run by, 50
Destinations: of free passengers
carried by Southern Pacific Rail-
road (first period), 58; of persons
sent from San Francisco in second,
third, and fourth periods, 66, 67,
68
Destitution: city canvassed for cases
of, 40
DeTurbeville, Miss: use of home
of, suggestion by Miss Felton, 134
Devine, Edward T.: chairman of
Finance Committee's Rehabilita-
tion Committee, 21; civil chair-
men appointed by, 42; consulta-
tion with army on clothing dis-
tribution, 56; drew on special
fund for rehabilitation expendi-
tures till May 9, 14; General
Greely's agreement with, 18; letter
of June 4 to chairman of Finance
Committee of Relief and Red
Cross Funds, 16, 17; MissHiggins
appointed secretary to, 14; plan
submitted by, as chairman of
Executive Commission, 20; recom-
mendations made by, 15 ; re-
habilitation of camp families con-
sidered at lunch given by, 109;
rehabilitation work continued in
charge of, 20; report on housing
submitted by, as chairman, 22;
representative of American Na-
tional Red Cross, 9, 11; succeeded
as representative of Red Cross
by Ernest P. Bicknell, 27
Devol, Brigadier General C. A.:
account by, of part played by army
in San Francisco disaster, 383-386;
work in unloading and transporting
supphes, 30, 39
De Young, M. H.: at conference April
24, 11; chairman of Department
of Bills and Demands, 399; mem-
ber of Executive Committee of
Relief Corporation, 26; suggestion
on housing by, 22
Diet, Special: for special classes, 48,
49; issued by sub-committee on re-
lief of the hungry, 38
Disabilities: among applicants to
Associated Charities before and
after fire, 293; of single and wid-
owed inmates of Ingleside Camp
who did not apply for rehabilitation,
352,353
Disbursements: of American National
Red Cross, 35; of Associated
Charities, 419-422; of RehabiU-
tation Committee to August 18
and September 20, 1906, 124
Discipline: of inmates at Ingleside
Camp, 325, 326
Dispensaries, Free: established by
Finance Committee of Relief and
Red Cross Funds, 93; supplied
with drugs, etc., by army, 93
District System: conclusions regard-
ing, reached after Relief Survey,
370; methods of work under, 113-
124; reasons for adopting and
abandoning, 126, 135
Dohrmann, F. W. : chairman of De-
partment of Relief and Rehabilita-
tion, 400; chairman of Rehabilita-
tion Committee of Finance Com-
mittee, 21 ; need of reserve to estab-
lish camp families emphasized by,
1 10; question of rehabilitation of in-
stitutions considered on request of,
141; recommendations in report of
advisory committee to, 143, 144;
representative of American Na-
tional Red Cross, 27; share of, in
forming Board of Trustees of Re-
lief and Red Cross Funds, 29; sug-
gestions regarding rehabilitation of
institutions offered by, 142; vice-
president of Rehef Corporation, 62
Donations: cash, to June i, 1909,
33, 34; control of, 99-103; made
through American National Red
Cross, disposition and balance,
35. See also Contributions
Duplication: of applications in aux-
iliary societies, 139; of inquiries
and grants, 116
Dwellings. See Housing and Shelter
Eagles, Local Order of: rehef station
opened by, 41
Earning Power, Estimated: of appli-
cants to Associated Charities, 296
461
INDEX
EARTHQUAKh; time, duration and
effects of, 3
"East": persons sent from San Fran-
cisco to, 66, 67, 68
Eaves, Lucile: director of Industrial
Bureau, 88; formerly head worker
of South Park Settlement, 88;
sewing circle at Ingleside Camp
organized by, 326
Ejectments from Official Camps:
by months, 80; reasons for, 79, 80
Emergency: and temporary relief,
number and amount of grants for,
300; cases, always handled with
rapidity, 165; cases, notice to
employes regarding, 131; period,
lessons learned from survey of,
369-370; work carried by army
and Citizens' Committee, 14
Emergent Relief : investigation in
cases of, 118
Emery, Archdeacon J. A.: chairman
of sub-committees III and IV, 125;
position of Bishop Nichols on
Rehabilitation Committee dele-
gated to, 21
Employment: given men out of work,
304, 305; of inmates at Ingleside
Camp, 326; recommendation re-
garding, by Dr. Devine, 16
Employment Bureau: Associated Char-
ities, 302, 303; under State Labor
Commissioner, 47
Employment Status: of grantees
under business rehabilitation, 186
England: cash contributions for re-
lief of San Francisco made in, 43;
natives of, among refugees, 74, 75,
76, 77; natives of, in San Francisco
in 1900, 74
Enttmerators: inexperience of, 48.
See also Registration Bureau
Estimates : for relief and rehabihtation
work, basis for, 122
European Points : included with
**East" in tabulation of destina-
tions, 66
Everett Gr.ammar School: used as
w^arehouse for second hand cloth-
ing, 56
Executive Commission: appointment
of, 19; final act of, 24; health
corps appointed by, go; housing
recommendations of, 22, 24; mem-
bership of, 19, 378; plan submitted
by chairman and secretary of, 20;
plans of, July, 1906, 391-393;
powers of, and relation to army,
21; rates of payment to hospitals
established by, 93; use of civil
sections by, 12; weakness of, 19,
20; work taken over by Depart-
ment of Camps and Warehouses,
no
Executive Committee of Corpora-
tion: bonus plan of, 239, 240;
decision as to grants to charitable
organizations reached by, 132;
estimates for rehabilitation and
rehef presented by, 121; manager
of Department of Lands and
Buildings made superintendent of
Housing Committee at request of,
256; request made to, by Housing
Committee, regarding Department
of Lands and Buildings, 257
Expenthtures: for housing, 220; of
San Francisco Relief and Red
Cross Funds for purchase and dis-
tribution of food, 53; under grant
and loan plan, 257, 258. See
also Cost; Disbursements; Re-
strictions
Fairmont Hotel: meeting place of
mayor and Committee, 9
Families: and individuals given aid
for business rehabilitation, 174-
177; and individuals registered in
civil sections in May, 45; making
use of grants and loans, 259-262;
occupying camp cottages, 223-
225; registered, housing of, in
May, 72, 73. See also sub-topics
under Bonus; Cottage plan; Grant
and loan plan
Family Cases: at Ingleside Camp,
337-343
Family Composition: changes in,
among families receiving aid for
business rehabilitation, 177
Family Relations: of inmates of
Ingleside Camp, 335. See also
Conjugal condition; Social status
462
INDEX
Family Types: among applicants for
relief to Associated Charities be-
fore and after fire, 288, 290. See
also Conjugal condition
Febiger, Colonel: report to War De-
partment on conditions found on
taking charge of relief stations,
40; quoted on effect of hot food
camps, -50; quoted on rations and
repeaters, 42, 43
Felton, Miss: appropriation for As-
sociated Charities suggested by,
135; plan for care of sick offered
by, 134
Finance: questions of, 96-103
Finance and Publicity, Department
of: created, 26; duties of, 399;
status of work one year and two
years after fire, 28, 29
Finance Committee of Citizens'
Committee (later Finance Com-
mittee of ReHef and Red Cross
Funds): appointed at first meet-
ing of Citizens' Committee, 9;
called on army to assume charge of
relief work, 39; consohdated with
Red Cross, 11; independent action
of its sub-committee on housing
the homeless, 70; realization by,
of need of permanent shelter, 221;
recognition as oj6&cial agent of
relief, 10; shelter furnished by,
on public lands, 84; supplies
purchased by, 30; value of shelter
furnished by, 87
Finance Committee of Relief and
Red Cross Funds (formerly Fi-
nance Committee of Citizens' Com-
mittee): and Corporation, cash
receipts of, 33; appointed its own
RehabiUtation Committee, 15;
appointment of committee on
hospitals by, 93; appropriation
made by, to Associated Charities,
14; arrangements with hospitals
by, 93; asked to supply tools and
make loans, 13; attitude of mem-
bers on recommendations of out-
side bodies, 138; attitude toward
and action on plan proposed by
Executive Commission, 20; cash
contributions received by, 34, 35;
claims made upon, 96; control of
relief work by, 10; date of be-
ginning rehabilitation work under,
Finance Committee of Relief and
Red Cross Funds (continued)
hi; decision of, to pay no liquor
claims, 98; expenditures for hous-
ing by, 220; first appropriation for
special relief by, amount and date,
14; free dispensaries established
by, 93; grants made directly to
charitable institutions by, 142;
health corps paid by, 90, 91; in-
dependent camp not recognized
as official by, 79; Japanese aided
by, number and value of reHef
given, 94, 95; members and com-
mittees of, 377; organization of,
11; park commissioners requested
by, to give permission for build-
ing cottages, 84; plan submitted
to, by General Greely, 18; question
of incorporation considered by,
25; recommendations made to,
by Dr. Devine, 15, 16, 17; repre-
sentative of, on Executive Com-
mission, 19; requested to state
plans, 15; sale of donated flour
by, 102; shelter furnished by,
on public land, 84; sub-commit-
tees of, 378; suggestion of repre-
sentation of relief funds on, loi;
value of shelter furnished by, 87
Fires and Lights: orders regarding,
in days following disaster, 40
Fires Following Earthquake: area
burned over by, 4; starting point
and direction, 3
Flour: efforts made to secure, 36;
sent in excess of need, disposal of,
loi, 102
Food: and its distribution, expenditure
for, from Relief and Red Cross
Funds, 52, 53; carloads of supplies
received at San Francisco, 30;
depots for storage of suppHes, 40;
distributed, value cannot be de-
termined, 52; distribution of, 36-
40; donated in excess of need,
loi, 102; early stations established,
37; first need to be supplied, 12, 13;
given to hospitals, value of, 94;
issued by army, 39; no instances
of extreme suffering for want of,
found by army, 40; recommenda-
tions of Dr. Devine regarding, 17;
registration to furnish basis for
system of distribution of, 46
463
INDEX
Food Card: face and reverse repro-
duced, 427; use of, 47
Foreign Points: persons sent from
San Francisco to, 67, 68
Forms used in relief and rehabilitation
work, 425-449
Fort Baker: location of, 7
Fort McDowell: location of, 7
Fort Mason: conference at, 11; food
from, distributed, 39; location of,
10; one of three garrison posts in
San Francisco, 7; sick cared for
in hospital at, 92
Fort Miley: food from, distributed,
39; one of three garrison posts in
San Francisco, 7
France: cash contributions for relief
of San Francisco made in, 34;
natives of, among refugees, 74, 76,
77; natives of, in San Francisco
in 1900, 74
Frankel, Lee K.: became chairman
of tentative bureau of special re-
lief of American National Red
Cross, 14
Franklin Hall: meeting place of
mayor and Committee, 9
Free Passengers: number of, carried
by Southern Pacific Railroad (first
period), 58
Fresno: committee from, announced
bringing of supplies, 37
Funds, Relief: criticism as to distri-
bution of, answered, 237, 238;
incorporation of, 25, 398; need of
careful accounting for, 99; remedy
for embarrassment caused by with-
holding of, 100, loi; restrictions
on use of, imposed by donors, 100-
103. See also Red Cross; Finance
Committee of Relief and Red Cross
Finids; San Francisco Relief and
Red Cross Funds; Contributions;
Disbursements
Funston, General: attended confer-
ences on April 21 and 24, 11; in
temporary command of Pacific
Division, 8
Furniture Grants, Committee on
(Sub-committee VII) : chairman
of, 125
Furniture, Household: applications
for, granted and refused, 153, 154;
applications for, passed on by
sub-committees and by members
of Rehabilitation Committee, 160;
applications for, to be on printed
forms, 117; grants of different
amounts for, 165, 166; large pro-
portion of early grants for, 298;
policy regarding grants of, 129,
130, 131; principal and subsidiary
grants for, number and amount of,
^57 J 158; reasons for refusal of
applications for, 166; re-opened
cases where principal grant was
for, 161, 162
FuRTH, Jacob: representative of Mas-
sachusetts Association for the
Relief of California, 15
Gallwey, Dr. John : chairman of
Sub-committee II, 125; member
of Rehabilitation Committee of
Finance Committee, 21
Garrison Posts: in and near San
Francisco, 7
Gaston, Major A. J.: positions held
by, 21
General Orders No. 18, 379-382
German General Benevolent So-
ciety: asked to confer on plan for
administration of relief work, 132;
privilege of having recommenda-
tions accepted extended to, 138;
represented on committee to pass
on applications for housing, 133
Germany: cash contributions for re-
lief of San Francisco made in, 34;
natives of, among refugees, 74, 75,
76, 77; natives of, in San Francisco
in 1900, 74
Gifts: received by applicants aided
under grant and loan plan, 265;
received by families aided under
cottage plan, 229
Golden Gate: location of, 3
Golden Gate Park: barracks in,
described, 70, 71; field hospital
estabHshed at, 92; line of refugees
at lodge of, 36; placing of refugees
in, recommended by committee on
housing the homeless, 70; pop-
ulation in, not included in regis-
464
INDEX
Golden Gate Park {continued)
tration, 73; refugees in, hindered
from iDecoming independent by
remoteness from centers, 84; vaca-
tion school in, proposed, 78
Governor of California: ex-officio
director of ReUef Corporation, 26;
member of special committee, 15
Grant and Loan Plan: additional
aid to families aided under, 273;
ages of applicants aided under,
261; applications and expenditures
under, 257-258; cases of grantees
under, 273-276; comments on
results of, 276, 278; conclusions
regarding houses built under, 371;
conjugal condition of families
aided under 260; contracts and
regulations covering, 253, 254;
nationaHty of applicants receiving
aid under, 259; nature of oppor-
tunity offered by, 237; number of
buildings erected under, 219; num-
ber of rooms occupied by families
aided under, 267; occupations
and incomes of applicants aided
under, 262, 263; payments on
houses erected under, 220; rentals
paid before fire by families aided
under, 270; status of loans to
families aided under, 271, 272;
typical cases of families aided
under, 273-276; value of houses
owned by applicants aided under,
269, 270; value of lots purchased
by applicants aided under, 266
Grants: amount and nature of, 165-
167; and applications, time elaps-
ing between, 163-165, 370; and
pensions, for aged' and infirm,
364-365; and pensions, given by
Associated Charities, 306-309; by
Associated Charities for emer-
gency and temporary relief, 300;
by Chicago Fire Commission,
limitation of, 109; by members of
Rehabihtation Committee, 174;
by Rehabilitation Committee to
apphcants who later applied to
Associated Charities, 298, 299;
by Sub-committee on Occupations
for Women and Confidential Cases,
158; cases reopened by nature of
principal, 161; classification of,
used by Red Cross special bureau,
108; duplication of, 116; for dif-
30 465
ferent kinds of rehabihtation, 153,
159; given and refused to inmates
of Ingleside Camp, 337-352; les-
sons regarding, learned from study
of rehabilitation work, 370, 371;
Hmitation of, 108, 370; made
directly to charitable institutions
by Finance Committee of Relief
and Red Cross Funds, 142; notice
regarding, 131; number of, to a
case, 160; of different amounts,
rules regarding, 128, 129; on
applications of United Irish So-
cieties, 140; 'principal" and ''sub-
sidiary" defined, 152; principal
and subsidiary, for different kinds
of rehabilitation, 157-160; reasons
for refusal of, to certain societies,
145; responsibility for, 128, 129;
spent in drink, 360; suspension of,
due to withholding of funds, 99, 100;
to applicants who possessed re-
sources, by amount of resources,
167, 168; to Associated Charities,
1335 134; to bonus recipients,
additional, 248; to bonus recipients.
Corporation's policy regarding, dis-
cussed, 251, 252; to charitable in-
stitutions, recommendations of ad-
visory committee regarding, 144;
to charitable organizations, by de-
nominations and nature of work,
405; to grant and loan recipients,
additional, 273; to Ingleside Camp
inmates, 362. See Grants for busi-
ness rehabilitation; Bonus; Cottage
plan; Grant and loan plan
Grants for Business Rehabilita-
tion: average size of, in families re-
visited, 174; classified by amount of
grant, 194; confined generally to
those experienced in special lines,
184, 185; delayed, result in failure
and hardship, 189, 190; inadequacy
of, as cause of failure, 190-192; in
personal and domestic service, 201-
202; in relation to capital, 201-205,
207-208; in trade, 207, 208; manner
in which made, as a reason for
failure, 188, 189; summary of
situation regarding, 211
Greely, General: acceptance of sug-
gestion regarding Executive Com-
mission made by, 19; activities
of, in June, 18, 19; appreciated
need of a second registration, 49;
INDEX
Greely, General {contimted)
attended conference on April 24, 11;
estimate of fraudulent repeating by,
43; estimate of number of persons
who received clothing, 55; had
city canvassed for cases of desti-
tution, 40; lack of data on which
to base housing recommendations
reported by, 71; letter from, to
James D. Phelan, 387; number
of rations distributed reported by,
52; persons in shacks and barracks,
according to census by, 77; quoted
on second hand clothing, 55; re-
port of loss of life by, 5; temporary
absence of, at time of earthquake,
8; three essentials for camp ten-
ants laid down by, 79; took charge
of food issues, 39; tried to induce
removal of refugees to official
camps, 79; value of shelter fur-
nished by army as reported by,
87
Hague, James D.: representative of
New York Chamber of Commerce,
15,25
Hall of Justice: meetings in, on day
of earthquake, 8, 9
Hamilton School: headquarters of
Civil Section IV, 42; meeting
place of Rehabilitation Committee,
21, 26
Hamilton Square : first cottages com-
pleted in, 82
Harriman, E. H.: at conference April
24, 11; member of special com-
mittee, 15
Har\^y, J. Downey: secretary of
ReUef Corporation, 26
Headquarters: of seven civil sections,
42
Health: in San Francisco following
disaster, 91, 92; of applicants and
families receiving aid for business
rehabilitation. 192, 193; of families
receiving aid under bonus plan,
243; of families receiving aid
under grant and loan plan, 261,
262; of inmates at Ingleside Camp,
326, 327; of refugees, improved
by outdoor life, 7; safeguarding
of, 89-94
Health, Board of: health corps
appointed by, 90; responsible for
typhoid, 91
Health Corps: of camps, personnel
of, 90, 91
Hearst School: free employment
bureau at, 47; sewing center at, 88
Hebrew Board of Relief: asked to
confer on plan for administration
of relief work, 132; efficiency of
work of, 141; represented on com-
mittee to pass on applications for
housing, 133
Hebrews: receiving business rehabili-
tation, 175
Herrin, W. F.: second vice-president
of Rehef Corporation, 26
Hibernians, Ancient Order of: re-
lief stations opened by, 41
HiGGiNS, Alice L. : secretary of Boston
Associated Charities, appointed sec-
retary to Dr. Devine, 14
Homes, Permanent: assistance in
construction of, expenditure for,
220. See also Houses; Housing,
etc.
Hospital Care: single and widowed
inmates of Ingleside Camp who
applied for, 351-352
Hospital, City and County: con-
demnation of, 323, 357; enlarge-
ment of Ingleside Camp hospital
to accommodate patients from,
326; records of cases of, filed with
Associated Charities records, 284
Hospital, Free : Medical Society urged
erection of, 28
Hospital, Unr^rsity of California:
donation to, 35
Hospitals, Bltieau of: cases under
care of, 93; closing of 03, 134;
physicians serving, also visited
for Bureau of Special Relief, 146;
report sheet used by, 442; status of
work one year after fire, 28
Hospitals, Committee on: appoint-
ment of, 93; date of appointment
and membership of, 378
Hospitals of San Francisco: ar-
rangements of, with Finance Com-
mittee, 93; estimate of amount
required for, 121; facilities offered
by, following disaster, 92; mostly
466
INDEX
Hospitals of San Francisco {con-
tinued)
outside limited area, 91; recom-
mendations regarding, by Dr.
Devine, 15; results of overcrowd-
ing of, after fire, 365; sums re-
ceived from Corporation by, 94
Hot Meal Kitchens: history and
work of, 49-55
Household Furniture. See Furni-
ture
Household Goods: storing and dis-
tribution of, 56
Household Rehabilitation: single
and widowed inmates of Ingleside
Camp applying for, 346
Houses: built by Housing Committee
under grant and loan plan, style
of and number of rooms, 258;
erected by San Francisco Relief
and Red Cross Funds, by style of
house or plan under which relief
given, 219, 220; erected under
bonus plan, character and cost
of, 248-251; owned by applicants
aided under grant and loan plan,
value of, 269; registered families
living in. May, 1906, 72, 73;
types and sizes of, occupied before
fire by families aided under cot-
tage plan, 230; vacant, refugees
housed in, 69
Housing: applications for, passed
upon by sub-committees and by
members of Rehabilitation Com-
mittee, 160; before and after fire,
of applicants aided under grant
and loan plan, 266-271; before
and after fire, of families aided by
cottage plan, 229-233; before and
after fire, of families aided under
bonus plan, 248-251; conditions in
different civil sections contrasted,
73-75; early discussion of problem
of, 13; expenditure for, by Asso-
ciated Charities, 310; expenditures
for, by various organizations, 220;
form of application for, 449; four
classes for whom provision neces-
sary in plan of, 218, 219; grants
for, number of, 153, 154; grants
for, principal and subsidiary, 157;
grants for, size of, 158, 159; grants
of different amounts for, 165, 167;
lessons learned from study of San
Housing {continued)
Francisco work in, 371; of reg-
istered families ■ in May, 72, 73;
offer made under bonus plan, 239;
plan of study of, 215; problem in
San Francisco compared with that
in Eastern cities, 277; problem in
San Francisco complicated, 21, 22;
reasons for refusal of applications
for, 166; recommendations re-
garding, 17, 22, 23, 24; re-opening
of cases where principal grant was
for, 161
Housing Account: status of loans to
families at close of, 272
Housing and Shelter, Committee on
(Sub-committee V): chairman of,
125
Housing Committee : and Department
of Lands and Buildings, relation
between, 256-257; apphcations
for building grants and loans re-
ferred to, 253; cost of houses
erected by, 270; dissatisfaction
with houses erected by, 268; gen-
eral plan of, 417-418; importance
of rehabihtation work of, 276, 277,
278; investigation of families who
were aided by grants and loans
from, 259; purpose and work of,
254, 255; status of work one year
after fire, 28; style of houses built
by, under grant and loan plan, 258
Housing Plan, Original: recom-
mendations submitted to Finance
Committee July, 1906, 394-397
Housing Rehabilitation: Associated
Charities to nominate committee
to pass on applications for, 133;
most highly specialized branch,
128
Housing the Homeless, Sub-com-
mittee ON: suggestion regarding
single camp, 70, 84; work of, 69,
70
Idaho: persons sent from San Fran-
cisco to, 66
Illness, Accident, etc.: as causes of
disability among applicants to
Associated Charities, 293. See
also Health
Income: loss of, in disaster, cannot
be estimated, 5
467
INDEX
Incomes: estimated, of families re-
ceiving aid under cottage plan, 228;
in families aided under bonus plan,
contributors to, 245; in families
aided under grant and loan plan,
contributors to, 264; of applicants
aided under bonus plan, 244, 245;
of applicants and families aided
under grant and loan plan, 262,
263, 264; of applicants to Asso-
ciated Charities, lack of data on,
296; of families receiving business
rehabilitation, lack of data on, 179;
of women in families aided under
grant and loan plan, 264
Incorporation: necessity of, for re-
lief organization in large disaster,
Incorporation of San Francisco
Funds: certificate of, issued, 26;
membership of Corporation, de-
partments, etc., 398-400; pro-
posals regarding, 25; recommended
by Dr. Devine, 17; suggested, 24
Indebtedness: of families aided by
bonuses, 247, 248; of families
aided under cottage plan, 229
Industrial Bureau: of Corporation,
work of, 88
Industrial Centers: estimate of
amount required for, 121
Infirm. See Aged and infirm
Ingleside Model Camp: administra-
tion of, 324-327; admission cards
used at, 327; aged, infirm and sick
^Lt, 57; ages of inmates at, com-
pared with ages of inmates at
almshouses, 330; applicants and
non-applicants for relief and re-
habilitation among inmates of,
336-343; applicants who had never
been at, 354, 355; cases needing
help for indefinite period sent to,
147.; cases sent to, who did not
belong there, 324; characteristics
of population of, 358, 359, 360,
361, 362; conjugal condition and
sex of inmates at, 328, 329; "con-
valescents" and hospital cases
at, 365; discipline at, 325, 326;
discontentment at, 324; employ-
ment of inmates at, 326; expendi-
tures for construction of, 220;
family relations of inmates at,
335; health of inmates at, 326,
Ingleside Model Camp (continued)
327; history of establishment of,
321-324; inmates at,, classified,
336; length of residence in Cali-
fornia of inmates at, 334; money
value of relief given to family cases
received at, 343; nativity of in-
mates at, 331; number at, same as
number at Lobos Square, by coin-
cidence, 29; number at, total and
average, 323, 324; occupations of
inmates at, 332, 333; purpose of
study of statistics of, 327; single
and widowed inmates at, applying
for relief and rehabilitation, 343-
352; single and widow^ed inmates
at, who did not apply for rehabili-
tation, 352-354; sources of in-
formation regarding inmates at,
327; total cost of, 327
Ingleside Race Track Stables:
transformed into camp for aged
and infirm, 322
Institutions: advisory committee on,
formed, 142; reasons for refusal
of grants to, 145; rehabilitation
of, 141-145
Instructions: for rehabilitation force
proposed by superintendent of
Committee, 123. See also Cir-
cular
Insurance: delay in collecting, 22;
difficulties in collecting, 217;
estimated total collected after
disaster, 5; received by applicants
aided by bonus, 247; received by
applicants aided under grant and
loan plan, 265; to be received by
families aided under cottage plan,
229
Investigating Force of Rehabili-
tation Committee: number of,
115; personnel of, 114
Investigation: by auxiliary societies
unsatisfactory, 139; methods in
different classes of cases, 117, 118;
of families receiving cottages, 222;
possibility of, even under condi-
tions such as existed in San Fran-
cisco, 370
Investigators: trained, value of, as
shown in handhng of Ingleside
cases, 364. See also Investigating
force
468
INDEX
Ireland: natives of, among refugees,
74, 76, 77; natives of, in San
Francisco in 1900, 74
Irish: section inhabited by^ burnt out>
4. See also Ireland
Italian Relief Committee: privilege
of having recommendations ac-
cepted extended to, 138
Italians: among refugees, 75; in
improvised shelters on Telegraph
Hill, 74. See also Italy
Italy: cash sent to, for Messina earth-
quake sufferers by American Na-
tional Red Cross, 35; natives of,
among refugees, 74, 76, 77; natives
of, in San Francisco in 1900, 74
Japan: cash contributions for relief
of San Francisco made in, 34, 94;
natives of, among refugees, 74, 76;
natives of, in San Francisco in
1900, 74. See also Japanese
Japanese: deterred from asking aid
by an ti- Japanese feeling, 94; re-
lief of, 94, 95. See also Japan
Japanese Relief Association: for-
mation of and relief given by,
94,95
Jessup, Morris K. : urges incorporation
of funds, 25
Jewish Charities: formation of special
relief fund in San Francisco con-
sidered by, 141
Jewish Committee : merged in Hebrew
Board of Relief, 141. See also
Hebrew Board of Relief
Jockey Club, California. See Cali-
fornia Jockey Club
Juvenile Court: records of , for 1907-
1909, 317; situation of, after fire,
described, 89
KiLiAN, Captain Julius N.: Ingleside
Camp organized by, 324, 325, 326
Kindergartens: in camps, 89
Kitchens, Hot Meal: history and
work of, 49-55
KosTER, General: at conference on
policing city, 1 1
Krauthoff, Major C. R.: work in
handling and issuing supplies, 39
Labor: abnormal prices asked for,
following disaster, 217. See also
Wage workers
Labor Commissioner: free employ-
ment bureau in charge of, 47; hope
that registration would be of ser-
vice to, 46
Labor, Unskilled: applicants to
Associated Charities who were
engaged in, 294, 295, 296
Land: appropriation of funds to ac-
quire, part of plan for shelter, 24;
decision of Corporation not to
acquire, 218
Lands and Buildings, Department
of: alterations in Ingleside stables
made under, 322; and Housing
Committee, relation between, 256-
257; applications for small build-
ing loans transferred from, to
Rehabilitation Committee, 253;
bonus plan, its history and work-
ings, 239-240; businesslike work
of, 237; chairman and duties of,
400; cost of inspection and cler-
ical work in connection with
building of camp cottages, 221,
222; creation of, 26; decision by,
not to purchase, lease, or rent land,
218; difficulties encountered by,
216, 217; erection of camp cot-
tages and tenements by, 82,
221; expenditure for bonuses made
through, 220; experiment in pur-
chasing ready-made houses, why
abandoned, 218; houses constructed
through its own contractors and
otherwise, 2 20; planing mills erected
by, 217; plans considered and aban-
doned by, 217, 218; propositions
by real estate firms to, 217; sani-
tary conveniences, etc., installed
in public squares by, 71; status of
work one year and two years after
fire, 28; work of, divided into three
parts, 219
"Latin Quarter": burnt out, 4, 287
Lease: of cottages to refugees, plan
concerning, 83. See also Rentals
Leege, Charles F.: chairman of
committee VI of Rehabilitation
Committee, 172
Letter: presented by members of
advisory committee investigating
institutions, 143
469
INDEX
Letters: rcgardinp; transportation of
refugees, 60, 04, 65
License, Special: policy regarding
grants to those starting in busi-
ness that required, 124
Life, Loss of: in disaster, 5
Lights: orders regarding, following
earthquake, 40
Liquor: no claims for, paid, 98; places
that sold, closed, 8
Loans: appropriation of money for,
24; early requests for, 13; nego-
tiated by applicants aided under
bonus plan, 246; negotiated by
applicants aided under grant and
loan plan, 265; recommendations
regarding, by Dr. Devine, 17;
special provision for granting, by
Rehabilitation Committee, 129;
study by Rehabilitation Committee
to determine probable number of,
22; to families aided under cottage
plan, 229; to families aided under
grant and loan plan, status of, 271,
272. See Grant and loan plan
LoBOS Square: camp at, last to be
retained, 29, 85; hot meal kitchen
opened in, 49. See also Camp Lobos
Location: effect of, upon success of
families receiving aid for business
rehabilitation, 192
Looters: troops ordered to shoot, 8
Looting: reports of men shot for, 5
Los Angeles: citizens of, came to aid
of San Francisco, 8
Los Angeles Relief Committee:
equipment for hot meal kitchens
sent by, 49; relief station opened
by, 41
Los Angeles Tool Fund: kits of
tools distributed by, 158
Lots: owned before fire by applicants
aided by bonus, 245, 246; plan of
purchasing or leasing, withdrawn
by Corporation, 218; purchase,
lease, and rental of, by families
removing cottages from camps,
233, 234; purchased after fire by
applicants aided under grant and
loan plan, 266; to which camp
cottages were removed, congestion
on, 233. See also Land
Lying-in Hospital: use of, suggested
by Miss Felton, 134
Magee, Thomas: chairman of Depart-
ment of Lands and Buildings, 400;
member of Executive Committee of
Relief Corporation, 26
Manufacturing and Mechanical
Industries: applicants to Asso-
ciated Charities who were engaged
in, 294, 295, 296; business status
of applicants receiving aid for
rehabilitation in, 196, 197, 198,
199; men and women in families
aided under bonus plan who had
been engaged in, 244; men and
women in families aided under
cottage plan who had been engaged
in, 226, 227; men and women in
families aided under grant and
loan plan who were engaged in,
262, 263
Mare Island Navy Yard: location of,
7
Marital Condition. See Conjugal
condition
Massachusetts Association for
Relief of California: authority
of Finance Committee recognized
by, 10; donation to University of
California Hospital by, 35; funds
transferred after being withheld,
• 100; investigator sent by, en-
dorsed Relief Corporation's work,
100; use of funds for permanent
relief urged by, 15
Mayor Schmitz of San Francisco:
activities on day of disaster, 8; at
conferences April 21 and 24, 11;
attitude and actions of, during
June, 18, 19; called on army to
assume charge of relief work, 39; ex-
officio director of Relief Corpora-
tion, 26; representative of, on
Executive Commission, 19
Meals: number furnished by hot
meal kitchens, May to October, 51;
number served in hot meal kitchens
on specified dates, 52; prices paid
for, at hot meal kitchens, 51
Meal Tickets: issued by Red Cross,
51
Medical Co-operation: in cases of
"general relief," 117
470
INDEX
Medical Department of Army: re-
port of, 91
Medical Society, County: urged
use of balance of fund for free
hospital, 27-28
Medical Supplies : furnished by army,
92, 93; given to hospitals, value
of, 94
Menu: of hot meal kitchens, 50, 51
Mexico: cash contributions for relief
of San Francisco made in, 34;
natives of, among refugees, 74, 76;
natives of, in San Francisco in
1900, 74
Military and Naval Center in San
Francisco, 7
Military Authorities: given entire
charge of relief stations and shelters,
II. See also Army
Military Control and districting of
city for policing, 11, 12, 40
Military Officers: of districts, and
civil chairmen of sections, 42
Milk, Condensed: donated in excess
of need, loi
Milk Dealers' Association: arrange-
ments with, made by sub-com-
mittee on relief of the hungry, 38
Ministers: recommendations by, gen-
erally valueless, 117. See also
Clergy; Pastors
Minneapolis Committee: objection
by, to sale of donated flour, 102
Mission: no hot meal kitchen in, 50
Mission Relief Committee: relief
station opened by, 41
Montana: persons sent from San
Francisco to, 66
MoRAN, Edward F.; empowered to
make alterations in Ingleside
stables, 322
Morrow, Judge W. W.: at conference
April 24, II
Mothers with Infants: special diet
for, 48
National Agent in Disaster: Red
Cross should become recognized
as, loi
National Guard: commanded by
General Koster, 1 1
Nationality: of applicants aided
under bonus plan, 241; of appli-
cants aided under cottage plan,
223; of applicants aided under
grant and loan plan, 259; of heads
of families receiving business re-
habilitation, 175, 176; of popula-
tion in 1900, and of refugees com-
pared, 74, 75; of refugees by civil
sections, 76, 77. See also Nativity
Native Daughters, Society of: re-
lief station opened by, 41
Nativity: of apphcants for relief
from Associated Charities, before
and after fire 287, 291; of inmates
of Ingleside Camp, 331, 332; of in-
mates of San Francisco almshouse,
331. See also Nationality
Naval Training Station: Yerba
Buena Island, 7
Navy Department: Navy yard on
San Francisco Bay, 7
Nevada: persons sent from San
Francisco to, 66
New Mexico: persons sent from San
Francisco to, 66
New York Chamber of Commerce.
See Chamber of Commerce, New
York
North End Police Station: meeting
place of Mayor and Committee, 9
Norway: natives of, among refugees,
74, 76, 77; natives of, in San Fran-
cisco in 1900, 74
Notre Dame College: aid under
bonus plan received by, 241; fail-
ure of, to supply information as
to income, 245; high cost of, 248
Nurses: from outside San Francisco
not needed, 92
Nurses' Settlement: work of residents
after destruction of, 88
Oakland: difficulty in transporting
supplies from, 37; location of, 3;
return of refugees from, 77
Occupation: lack of, a reason for
leaving city among certain pro-
fessions, 62
471
INDEX
Occupations: of applicants to Asso-
ciated Charities variously classified,
294, 295; of inmates of Ingleside
Camp, 332, 333; of men and
women in families aided under
bonus plan, 244; of men and
women in families aided under
cottage plan, 226, 227; of men
and women in families aided under
grant and loan plan, 262, 263;
pro])osed, of applicants receiving
business rehabilitation, 184; repre-
sented by families receiving busi-
ness rehabilitation, 183; success
or failure in cases aided by
business rehabilitation, according
to nature of, 196-208
Occupations for Women ant) Con-
fidential Cases, Committee on
(Sub-committee IV): chairman of,
125; grants by, 158
Oregon: persons sent from San Fran-
cisco to, 66
Pacific Division of Army: appro-
priation of Congress to be dis-
tributed under direction of officers
of, 30; headquarters at San Fran-
cisco, 7. See also Army
Pacific States: persons sent from
San Francisco to, 67, 68; states
included under heading, 66
Pantc: absence of, foUo^,\dng earth-
quake, 6
Paris, American Chamber of Com-
merce: cash contributions made
by, 34
Park Commissioners: agreement to
ignore occupation of parks by
cottages for one year, 84; co-
operation of, \^ith Relief Corpora-
tion, 84; request to Relief Cor-
poration to clear squares, 85
Parks ANT) Squares: wdsdom of using,
for camps, 84
Pastors: certificates of, found un-
reliable in Chicago and San Fran-
cisco, 137. See also Clergy; Min-
isters
Patient:s : recommendations regard-
ing, by Dr. Devine, 15, 16
Pavilion, Cottage: proposed for
housing aged and infirm, 23, 24.
See also Aged aiid Infirm; Relief
Hofne
Payments: upon claims, 98
Pensions: for aged and infirm, 364-365;
given by Associated Charities, 306-
309; lessons regarding, learned
from study of relief work, 372
Per capita Cost: for shelter, 86, 87.
See also Cost; Expenditure
Personal and Domestic Service:
applicants to Associated Charities
who were engaged in, 294, 295,
296; business status of applicants
receiving aid for rehabilitation in,
196,197,200-206; men and women
in families aided under bonus
plan who were engaged in, 244;
men and women in families aided
under cottage plan who had been
engaged in, 226, 227; men and
women in families aided under
grant and loan plan who were
engaged in, 262, 263
Phelan, James D . : as head of Finance
Committee of Citizens' Committee,
9; at conference April 24, 11;
directed to make financial state-
ment to Committee on Recon-
struction, 10; mayor's suggestions
to, 18; new Rehabilitation Com-
mittee appointed by, 21; president
of Relief Corporation, 26
Philanthropic Agencies: results of
co-operation between, under Re-
lief Corporation, 317
Physiclans and Nltises: from out-
side San Francisco not needed, 92
Physicians' Funt>: applications re-
ferred to, 153
Plague. See Bubonic plague
Plan of Work: by army officers, sub-
mitted by General Greely to
Finance Committee, 18; sub-
mitted by Dr. Devine and Mr.
Bicknell for Executive Commis-
sion, 20
Plehn, Carl C: registration bureau
organized by, 44, 45
Police, Chief of: at conference
April 21 on policing of city, 11;
provisions seized and distributed
by order of, 32
472
INDEX
Police Protection: furnished to hot
meal kitchens, 50
Policing of City: as arranged for on
April 21, II, 12, 40
Political Appointments: to Execu-
tive Commission, 19
Population: made homeless by dis-
aster, 4; of California, fifteen
years of age and over, in 1900,
329; of city and county of San
Francisco, in 1900, 331, 356; of
official camps, by months and by
composition, 81; of San Francisco
in 1900, nationality of, 74; of un-
official camps, 79
Portland, Oregon: citizens of, come
to aid of San Francisco, 8
Portsmouth Square: cottages for
Chinese in, 95 ; meeting of Citizens'
Committee in, 9
Potatoes: donated in excess of need,
lOI
PoTRERO: acquiescence in hardships
by families of, 36
Premises: occupied before and after
fire by families receiving aid for
business rehabilitation, 178
Presidio: army post, 7; camp for
Chinese in, 95; entrance to, as
headquarters of civil section I, 42;
food issued from depot at, 39;
meals furnished at kitchens in,
51; sick cared for in hospital at,
92
Probation Work: situation of, after
disaster described, 89
Professional Occupations: appli-
cants to Associated Charities who
were engaged in, 294, 295, 296;
business status of appHcants re-
ceiving aid for rehabilitation
in, 196, 197, 198; men and
women in families aided under
bonus plan who were engaged in,
244; men and women in families
aided under cottage plan who had
been engaged in, 226, 227; men
and women in families aided under
grant and loan plan who were
engaged in. 262-263
Property: estimated loss of, in dis-
aster, 5; possessed by applicants
aided under bonus plan, 246;
Property (contimied)
possessed by applicants aided
under grant anjd loan plan, 265
Proprietors in Business: among
applicants aided under grant and
loan plan, 262; among men in
families aided under bonus plan,
244; among men in families aided
under cottage plan, 226
Public Land: shelter furnished by
army and Finance Committee
on, 84
Public Service: applicants to Asso-
ciated Charities who were engaged
in, 294, 295, 296
Purchasing Committee of Finance
Committee: membership of, 276
Railroads: activities of, following
disaster, 58, 59; estimated con-
tribution of, 68; number of per-
sons carried free by (second and
third periods), 68. See also South-
ern Pacific Railroad; Transporta-
tion
Rations: adopted by sub-committee
on rehef of the hungry, 38; issued
by army, 39; issuing of, discon-
tinued, no; number reported by
General Greely as distributed, 52;
persons estimated to be receiving,
during April and May, 43 ; persons
to whom issued in May and June,
53,54,55; reduced, 44; reductions
in number receiving, explained, 48;
stolen, 32
Reading Rooms: in camps, 89
Real Property. See Property
Re- applications : to Associated Chari-
ties by those aided by Rehabilita-
tion Committee, 298-299
Receipts: cash, of Finance Committee
of ReUef and Red Cross Funds,
and Corporation, to June i, 1909,
33 7 34 i of Associated Charities,
419
Recommendations: made by Dr.
Devine, 15, 16, 17; of section
cormnittees reviewed before sub-
mission to Rehabilitation Com-
mittee, 118; regarding housing,
22, 23, 24
473
INDEX
Reconstruction of San Francisco,
Committee on: Finance Com-
mittee to make financial state-
ment to, lO
Rkcord Card: used in rehabilitation
work, information on, 115, 116
"Records: charity, value of, cannot be
over-emphasized, 363; of dis-
tribution furnished by official
camps, 42; of relief distribution
incomplete, 42; rehabilitation,
value of study of, 151
Red Cross, American National:
and army, co-operation between,
44; and Finance Committee, re-
lations between, during week fol-
lowing disaster, 10; appointment
of permanent director of, loi;
cash contributions received by, 34;
consolidation with Finance Com-
mittee approv^ed by, 11; con-
tribution of Japan to, 94; dates for
formative period of rehabilitation
work under, 1 1 1 ; determined those
entitled to clothing and household
goods, 56; disposition of cash
received by, 35; endeavored to
deliver boxes to persons for whom
intended, 32; meal tickets issued
by, 51; realization by, of need of
permanent shelter, 221; recog-
nition as national agency in dis-
aster desirable, loi, 370; regis-
tration of refugees begun by, 44;
registration, second, made by
workers of, 49, 115; relation to hot
meal kitchens, 50; report to Mr.
Taft as president, 30; representa-
tives of, at different times, 27;
representatives of, free to consider
rehabilitation, 14; represented by
Dr. Devine, 9, 11, 19; sewing
center established by, 88; staff
of rehabiHtation workers of, 14;
tents pro\ided by, 69, 70; use of
civ^il di\isions by, 12. See also
San Francisco Relief and Red Cross
Funds; Red Cross Special Relief and
Rehabilitation 'Bureau; and other
bureaus
Red Cross, California Branch of:
recognized Finance Committee as
official agent of relief, 10; repre-
sented at conference, 11; work of,
92
Red Cross Special Relief and Re-
habilitation Bureau: chairmen
of temporary and permanent or-
ganizations, 14; classifications of
grants in use by, 108; expenditures
by, 21; got under way, 14; rec-
ommendations not accepted by, in
place of investigations, 137-138;
superseded by RehabiHtation Com-
mittee of Finance Committee, 21;
transportation work merged with
that of, 59
Refugees: attempts to secure removal
of, from unofficial to official camps,
79; free tents and shacks for,
82, 83; in unofficial camps, 79;
nationality of heads of family
among, 74-77; registration of,
44, 45, 46; return of, from Oak-
land and other places, 77; terms of
agreement for lease of cottages
by, 83, 84. See Population; and
other topics
Refusals of Aid: by Associated
Charities, reasons for, 312, 313;
for business rehabilitation, study
of, 208-210
Registration, First: begun by Red
Cross, 44; character of records
on card, 46, 47; families and in-
dividuals registered in seven civil
sections by, 45, 46; form of card
used in, 425, 426; housing of
registered families as shown by,
7i> 72, 73; method and results of,
47; overcrowding and bad sanitary
conditions not shown on card used
in, 73; population in Golden Gate
Park not included in, 73; primary
object of, 46; reasons why defec-
tive, 48
Registration, Second: conduct and
results of, 115, 116; face and
reverse of card used in, 428, 429;
•when and why made, 49; use of
card in civil sections, 115
Registration Bureau: formulation
of plans for, by Red Cross, 14;
organization and force of, 45.
See also Eniunerators
Rehabilitation: age of possible, 365;
amount of principal and subsidiary
grants for, 158; applicants for,
among Ingleside Camp inmates,
336; appHcants for, by age, by
474
INDEX
Rehabilitation {continued)
nature and disposal of application,
andby domestic status, 154; appli-
cants for, classified by specified
handicaps, 155; applicants for,
number of persons and of children
in famihes of, 156; applicants for,
who possessed resources, grants
and refusals to, 167, 168; appHed
for by Ingleside Camp inmates,
nature of, 344; beginning of work
of, 13-19; centralized system of
work, 124-133; district and cen-
trahzed systems of work discussed
and accounted for, 135, 136, 370;
estimate of money required for,
121; general policy of, 107-111;
grants for, by amount and nature
of relief given, 165-167; nature of
principal and subsidiary grants for,
157, 158; of institutions, 141-145;
of old people at Ingleside Camp,
361, 362; periods of work of, iii,
112, 129; reasons for refusal of,
by nature of application, 166;
recommendations regarding, by
Dr. Devine, 16, 17; record card
used in work of, 115, 116; record of
burned-out families applying to
Associated Charities, 291; refugees
with and without record of, who
applied to Associated Charities,
294; re-opening of cases, 160;
single and widowed inmates of
Ingleside Camp applying for, 343-
352; single and widowed inmates
of Ingleside Camp who did not
apply for, 353, 354; study of,
lessons learned from, 370, 371;
suspension of grants arrested work
of, 99, 100; time elapsing between
application and grant in different
periods of, 164, 165; workers, staff
of, formed, 14. See also Rehabilita-
tion Committee; Relief and Rehabili-
tation, Department of; Applications
for Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation Bureau. See Red
Cross Special Relief and Rehabili-
tation Bureau
Rehabilitation Committee: addi-
tional aid granted to families
receiving grants and loans for
building by, 272, 273; additional
aid granted to receivers of bonuses
by, 248; administrative details
Rehabilitation Com^ottee {continued)
of, 406-416; aim as to single grants,
how far attained, 160; apphcants
referred to Associated Charities
by, 134; applications for small
building loans taken up by hous-
ing sub-committee of, 253, 254;
applications on forms to, when
required, 117; appHcations passed
on by single members of, 160;
appointed by Finance Committee
to supersede eariier bureau, 15, 21;
attempt to gather up loose ends
by, 415; cases of single and
widowed inmates of Ingleside
Camp who applied for aid to, 343-
352; cases of, used in study of
Ingleside Camp inmates, 327;
caution in giving justified, 312;
centralized system of, 412; clos-
ing of civil sections, and in-
auguration of centralized system,
124; clothing distribution by, 57;
compelled to accept recommenda-
tions from outside organizations,
138; conditions of grant to As-
sociated Charities by, 133; consid-
eration of cases out of turn by, 412;
consolidation of families fostered
by, 177; delegation of powers to
section committees by, 119; direc-
tions given by the Associated
Charities for use of workers of, 406-
407; disbursements of, 124; ex-
penditure through, for housing
construction, 220; experience with
recommendations by ministers, 117;
extracts from circular on "Re-
quirements for Satisfactory In-
vestigations" prepared for, 140;
fourth period of work marked by
pressure, 129; fifth period of work
marked* by discharge of sub-com-
mittees, 131; forms used by, 432-
436; funds entrusted to, for allot-
ment to charitable organizations,
132; grant and loan plan formu-
lated by, 253, 254; grants by mem-
bers of , 174; grants for business re-
habilitation and number of differ-
ent occupations represented, 183;
grants for housing made by, 257;
grants made by, to applicants who
afterwards applied to Associated
Charities, 298, 299; hope of, in
granting sums for business rehabili-
tation insufficient for establishing a
475
INDEX
Rehabilitation CoMAnTTEE(c(?;7/*;/w€(f)
business, 203; housing recommenda-
tions of, 22, 24; help toward refur-
nishing of homes given by, 130; in-
stances where refusals to grant aid
for business rehabilitation were
not justified, 209; instructions for
force prepared by superintendent
of, 123; investigating force of , 115;
Jewish societies agreed to work
through, 141; kept outside prov-
ince of Executive Commission,
25 ; lesson rega rding records learned
from study of work of, 413; limi-
tation of applications received by,
126; limitation of size of grants
by, 108; means which might have
obviated re-opening of cases by,
. 163; meetings of, 127; membership
of, 378; method of work in district
organization, 408-412; monthly
budgets of, 408; notes on bookkeep-
ing and registration under, 415-416;
notitied by camp commander of in-
abiUty of tenants to pay rent, 84; no-
tified of withdrawal of staiBF of Asso-
ciated Charities, 132; periods of
work of, defined and characterized,
III, 112; plan of August, 1906, 124;
policy in regard to grants, 108, 109;
principle underlying work of, 107;
problem of care for aged and
infirm, 359-362; provisions re-
gardmg grants and loans by, 128,
129; receipts of applications sus-
pended by, 122; relation to De-
partment of Relief and Rehabili-
tation, 109; responsibility of,
defined, no; satisfactory co-opera-
tion with Hebrew Board of Relief,
141; situation at beginning of
work of, 107; Special Relief Bureau
called on for aid by, 149; standards
estabhshed by, 118; sub-com-
mittees, work and chairmen of, 125;
transportation bureau merged with,
60; unsatisfactory history of co-
operation with auxiliary societies,
138, 139, 140; work of, distin-
guished from that of Bureau of
Special Relief, in; work of, in
second period, 120, 121; with-
drawal of office staff of Associated
Charities from, 132, 133. See also
Red Cross Special Relief and Reha-
bilitation Bureau; Rehabilitation
Re-investigation: of cases refused
aid, reasons why not attempted,
314
Relief: accounting, use of word
"claim" in, 96; applications for,
how passed upon, 160; basis, work
of application bureau put on, 130,
131; by free and reduced rate
tickets, 59; classes of, and order
of demand, 12, 13; distribution,
records of incomplete, 42; emer-
gent, given by Associated Charities,
299-305; estimate of amount re-
quired for, by Department of Relief
and Rehabilitation, 121; in cash,
possibility of strict audit of, 369;
in kind, impossibility of strict ac-
counting for, 369; in kind, need of
bureau to supply, 145, 146; specula-
tive character of, in cases of aged
and infirm, 363; permanent, given
by Associated Charities, 305-310;
principles of, two conceptions in
conflict, 13; refused by Associated
Charities, 310-314; to Chinese and
Japanese, value of, 94, 95 . See also
topics which follow; and Applica-
tions; Rehabilitation
Relief and Rehabilitation Bureau.
See Red Cross Special Relief and
Rehabilitation Bureau
Relief and Rehabilitation, De-
partment OF: chairman and du-
ties of, 400; chairman's action
in regard to grants to mstitutions,
141-145; creation of, 26; date
when Bureau of Hospitals closed,
93; erection of grant and loan
houses by, 220; expenditure
through, for assistance in con-
structing permanent homes, 220;
funds required to carry on work of,
121; relation to Department of
Camps and Warehouses defined,
no; responsibility for relief out-
side camps, in; sewing work
under, 88; status of work one year
and two years after fire, 28, 29;
use of civil sections by, 1 2
Relief, Bureau of Special. See
Special Relief, Bureau of
Relief Committees: independent,
confusion caused by, 37
Relief Corporation: all responsi-
bility in a disaster should rest
476
INDEX
Relief Corporation {continued)
upon a single, loo, loi. See San
Francisco Relief and Red Cross
Funds ^ a Corporation
Relief Funds. See Funds
Relief, General: applications for,
granted and refused, 153, 154;
applications for, passed on by
sub-committees and by members
of Rehabilitation Committee, 160;
cases of single and widowed in-
mates of Ingleside Camp who
applied for, 352; grants for, classi-
fied by amounts, 165, 167; grants
for, size of, 158, 159; principal and
subsidiary grants for, number and
amount, 157, 158; reasons for refusal
of "^Dplicationsfor, 166; re-opening
of cases where principal grant was
for, 161, 162; use of term, instead
of Special Relief, to cover mis-
cellaneous grants, 108
Relief Home: building of, determined
on by Corporation, 321; character-
istics of population of, 358-362;
completion of, 28; conditions influ-
encing population of, 357; popula-
tion, admissions and movement to
and from, 356; sick and convales-
cent inmates at, 365, 366
Relief in Deferred and Neglected
Cases, Committee on (Sub-commit-
tee VIII): chairman of, 125
Relief of Aged and Infirm, Un-
supported Children and Friend-
less Girls, Committee on (Sub-
committee II): chairman of, 125
Relief of the Hungry, Sub-com-
mittee on: difficulties contended
with by, 39; relief stations reported
by, 42; status of work at final re-
port to Finance Committee, 37; sub-
committee on housing the homeless
worked independently of, 70
Relief of Unsupported or Partially
Supported Families, Committee
ON (Sub-committee III); chair-
man of, 125
Relief Sections. See Civil Sections
Relief, Special: estimate (August) of
amount required for, 121; general
rehef used as equivalent term to
cover miscellaneous grants, 108;
recommendations regarding, by
Relief, Special {continued)
Dr. Devine, 16; single and wid-
owed inmates of Ingleside Camp
who applied for, 349-351
Relief Stations: and registration,
40-49; in charge of army, 11, 40;
in civil section VI, list of, 41; in
seven civil sections, number, 42;
private, 44; recommendation of
Dr. Devine regarding, 17; taken
charge of by Colonel Febiger, 40
Relief Stations, Bureau of Con-
solidated: establishment of, 40;
hot meal kitchen contracts under,
50; requisitions on, 42
Relief Survey: estimate by, of value of
relief to Japanese by army and
Finance Committee, 95; estimate
of persons in shacks and barracks
made for, 77; findings of, regarding
frauds, 117; findings of, regarding
results of business rehabihtation,
187, 188; housing study a part of,
215; no attempt by, to ascertain
what references investigated, 116;
re- visit to 1,000 cases of applicants
for business rehabilitation made
for, 174; some lessons of, 369-373;
weaknesses in centraHzed system
revealed by, 135
Relief Work: of Associated Charities,
disbursements for, 309; plan for,
drawn up by army officers, 18;
reasons for limiting scope of, in
February, 1907, 130; what an
account of, should include, 298
Rentals: business and residence, paid
by families receiving aid for busi-
ness rehabilitation, 177-183; for
camp cottages, amount collected
and refunded, 222; for camp
cottages, plan to charge, 83; for
camp cottages, plan to charge
blocked by ordinance, 222; paid
before fire by families aided under
grant and loan plan, 270; paid for
lots by those removing cottages
from camps, 234; paid for lots
in cottage settlements, 235, 236
Repeating: allowance for, in army re-
ports, 43; registration to prevent,
46
Reports of Tragic Deaths following
disaster, 5
477
INDEX
Residences: occupied by families
receiving business rehabilitation,
number of rooms in, i8o. See also
Houses
Resources: of families aided under
bonus plan, 244-248; grants and
refusals to applicants for rehabili-
tation possessing, 167, 168
Restaur.\nts: opening of, recom-
mended by Dr. Devine, 15. See
also Hot nieal kitchens
Restrictions: desirability of having
contributions sent without, 369;
on expenditures of funds, 100-103
Riordan, Archbishop: member of
Rehabilitation Committee of Fi-
nance Committee, 21; on special
committee, 15; prediction of,
quoted, 78
Roofing the Homeless, Sub-committee
on: work of, 70
Rooms: letting of, by applicants aided
under grant and loan plan, 267;
letting of, by families aided under
bonus plan, 250, 251; number of,
in houses owned and occupied be-
fore and rebuilt after fire under
bonus plan, 249, 250; number of,
occupied before fire by families
aided under cottage plan, 230;
number of, occupied by families
aided under grant and loan plan,
267
Russia: cash contributions for relief
of San Francisco made in, 34;
natives of, among refugees, 74, 76;
natives of, in San Francisco in 1900,
74
St. Francis TECH^^CAL School: as
headquarters for Relief Corpora-
tion, 26
St. Mary's Cathedral: refugees in
line at, 36
St. Vincent de Paul Society: con-
ference of, privilege of ha\4ng rec-
ommendations accepted extended
to, 138; invited to confer on plan
for administration of relief work,
132; represented on conmiittee to
pass on apphcations for housing,
Salaries ant) Admintestrative Ex-
penses: disbursements of Associ-
ated Charities for, 309
Saloons: policy regarding grants to,
128. See also Liquor
San Francisco: a military and naval
center, 7; cash contributions for
relief made in, 34; cash remitted
to, by American National Red
Cross, 35; citizens of, visited
Congress to discuss building fund
plan, 216; districted for policing
and redistricted to bring under
military control, 11, 12; housing
problems in, compared with those
in eastern cities, 277; location of,
3; nativity of population of, in
1900, 74, 331; payment by, for
almshouse patients- at Ingleside
Camp, 327; persons sent from, to
various destinations, 66, 67, 68;
population of, in different years,
356; proportion of almshouse ad-
missions and inmates to population
of, 356; study of dependency prob-
lems in second and third year fol-
lo^ving disaster in, 281, 282; terms
of transportation of persons sent
from, 68; wage-earners in, more
highly paid than in any other part
of United States, 296
San Francisco Relief and Red Cross
FuNTDS, A Corporation: aided by
park commissioners, 84; an-
nouncement regarding business re-
habiUtation by , 172-173; appKcants
to, among inmates of Ingleside
Camp, 336; applicants who first
applied for rehabilitation after
Corporation's rehabilitation work
w^as done, 286; appointment of
Board of Trustees of, 401; ap-
propriations for w^ork for unem-
ployed made by, 305, 306; balance
sheet showing of August 11, 1906,
121; bonus plan, outline and his-
tory of, 239, 240; bonus policy
discussed, 251, 252; building of
Relief Home determined by, 321;
cash receipts of, :^2>^ 2)S'i clearing of
squares by, 85; conditions which
could not be anticipated by, 362;
construction of cottages under, 82,
221 ; contribution from China to, 95 ;
cost for care of sick by, 93, 94; could
get no information of claims paid
478
INDEX
San Francisco Relief and Red Cross
Funds, a Corporation {continued)
by War Department and state, 98;
criticisms of accounting system
answered, 98, 99; decision regard-
ing grants to charitable organiza-
tions reached by Executive Com-
mittee of, 132; departments and
personnel of, 26, 398-400; embar-
rassed by withholding of funds, 99,
100; expenditure for food and its
distribution by, 52, 53; expendi-
ture for sewing work by, %?>; expen-
ditures for housing by, 220; family
cases at Ingleside Camp applying
to and aided by, 337-342; houses
erected by, according to style of
house or plan under which relief
given, 219; incorporation and
departments of, 26; lessor of cot-
tages, 83; membership and de-
partments of, 396-398; plan of
purchasing or leasing lots con-
sidered by, 218; plan to build
cottages and let contracts made
public by, 82; refusal by, to sell
cottages to vacant lot owners, 233;
reimbursement of hospitals by, 93;
relations of, with hospitals and
Associated Charities, 93; resigna-
tion of Associated Charities as
investigating agent of, 281; result
of union of official and private
efforts, 27; single and widowed
inmates of Ingleside Camp apply-
ing to, 344; suggestion of, 24; suits
against, 98; temporary barracks
for aged and infirm equipped by,
321, 322; unanimous in dissatis-
faction with work of auxiliary
societies, 138; work of, indorsed by
investigator of Massachusetts com-
mittee, 100
Sanitary Arrangements: in houses
built under bonus plan, 248; in
houses occupied by applicants aided
under cottage plan, 231, 232
Sanitary Conditions: in cottage
settlements, 235, 236
Sanitation: measures of, applied after
disaster, 89-91; of camps and city,
cost of, 87
San Jose: location of, 3
Santa Clara Valley: arrangements
for baking bread in, 37
Sausalito: location of, 3
Savings: of applicants aided under
grant and loan plan, 265; of fami-
lies aided under cottage plan, 229;
possessed by applicants aided by
bonus, 247
Scandinavians: among refugees, 75.
See also Denmark; Norway; Sweden
ScHMiTz, Eugene E. See Mayor
Schmitz
''Scholarship" Grants: instance of ,
307, 308
Scotch: among refugees, 75. See also
Scotland
Scotland: cash contributions for relief
of San Francisco made in, 34;
natives of, among refugees, 74,
76, 77; natives of, in San Francisco
in 1900, 74
Sections, Civil. See Civil Sections
Section VIL See Mission
Seizure of Goods: claims for, 97
Settlements: destruction of, 88; resi-
dents of, and their activities, 88
Settlements, Cottage: conditions in
two, described, 234-237
Se\ving Circles and Classes: in
camps, etc., 88, 89
Sewing Department: organized at
Ingleside Camp, 326
Sex and Conjugal Condition: of in-
mates at Ingleside Camp, 328, 354
Shacks: and barracks, estimates of
persons living in, 77; and tents,
registered families living in, May,
1906, 72, 73; improvised during
first days, 69
Shelter: among relief demands, rela-
tive importance of, 12, 13; emer-
gency, expenditure for, 220; for
aged, infirm, etc., recommendation
regarding by Rehabilitation Com-
mittee and Executive Commission,
23, 24; given by camps, cost of, 86,
87; permanent, need of realized
by relief organizations, 221; pro-
viding, 69-89
Shelters: in charge of army, 11;
temporary, proposed appropriation
of money for construction and re-
pair of, 24. See also Barracks;
Camps; Shacks
479
INDEX
Sick: and disabled, applications of, to
have precedence, 123; care of, a
minor problem of relief work, 91,
92; carried from fire zone, 5; ex-
penditures for care of, by Associated
Charities, 301; special diet for, 48
Sickness: as a reason for transporting
refugees, 62. See also Health
Single and Widowed Men and Wo-
men: at Ingleside Camp, 343-354
Smallpox: cases in San Francisco fol-
lowing disaster, 91
Smith (Coolidge), Mary Roberts:
quotation from article in Charities
a fid the Commons by, 77
Social Character: of cases cared for
by Associated Charities, 286-294
Social Halls: built at expense of
Corporation, 89
Social Status. See Conjugal condition
Southern Pacific Railroad : estimate
of persons in shacks and barracks
by, 77; free passengers carried
from San Francisco by, 58; relief
suppHes brought into city by, 30
South Park: camp in, described, 84
South Park Settlement: work of
residents after destruction of, 88
Special Relief. See Reliefs Special;
Reliefs General; Special Relief ,
Bureau of
Special Relief, Bureau of, 145-150;
applications for emergency relief
referred to, 120; applications of
specified kinds referred to, 123;
creation of, made possible prompt
action, 126; emergency cases al-
ways handled rapidly by, 165;
emergency relief cases referred to,
120; expenditures by, 148, 149;
forms used by, 435-439; need of,
from beginning of rehabilitation
work, 370; reasons why earlier
opening of, desirable, 163; requisi-
tions for clothing to, 57; staff and
administration of, 147, 148; status
of work one year after fire, 28; work
distinguished from that of Re-
habihtation Bureau, 11 1; work
first done by, 146; work for resi-
dents of camps, 149; work of,
closed, 133, 150. See also Red
Cross Special Relief and Rehabilita-
tion Bureau
Speedway Camp (Camp No. 6): aged
and infirm first sent to, 321; last
kitchen closed at, 52; location and
description of, 70, 71
Spreckels, Rudolph: chairman of De-
partment of Camps and Ware-
houses, 399; estimate by, of num-
ber to be placed at Ingleside
Camp, 323; in conference with
Rehabilitation Committee, no;
member of Executive Committee
of Relief Corporation, 26
Sproule, William: chairman of com-
mittee on transportation, 59
Staff: of rehabilitation workers formed,
Stafford, State Labor Commissioner:
free employment bureau under,
work of , 47
Standard of Living: of families with
reduced incomes after fire, 228-229
Standards: established by Rehabilita-
tion Committee, 118
Stanford University: students of,
as investigators, 114
Statistics: of Ingleside Camp popu-
lation, 327-334; of receipts and dis-
bursements from Associated Chari-
ties, 419-422
Stevenson, Robert Loins: memorial
fountain to, untouched by earth-
quake, 9
Stockton: blankets and provisions
donated brought by steamer from,
39
Stores: quantity received, 30; sub-
sistence, report by army of ex-
penditures for, 52
Sub-committee I. See Temporary Aid
and Transportation, Committee on
Sub-committee VI. See Business Re-
habilitation, Committee on
Sub-committees of Rehabilitation
Committee: chairmen and fields
of work of , 1 25 ; discharge of , 131
Superintendent of District Work:
appointed, 113
Supervising, Committee on: mem-
bership of, 378
Supervision: need of, in certain cases
receiving aid for business rehabili-
tation, 163, 188, 189, 199, 203,
480
INDEX
Supervision {continued)
204, 206, 208, 371; of expendi-
ture by poorest class, desirable,
238
Supervisor of Accredited Hospitals :
work of, 93
Supplies: amount expended by Bureau
of Special Relief for, 148; confisca-
tion of, by army, 39; in army ware-
houses burned, value of, 39; lost
and stolen, 3 2 ; purchased by Amer-
ican National Red Cross, 35;
transportation of, under sub-com-
mittee on relief of the hungry, 38
Survey. See Relief Survey
Suspension: of receipt of applications
for rehabilitation, 122
Sweden: natives of, among refugees,
74, 76, 77; natives of, in San Fran-
cisco in 1900, 74
Switzerland: natives of, among refu-
gees, 74, 76; natives of, in San
Francisco in 1900, 74
Taft, William H. : report to, as presi-
dent of American National Red
Cross, 30
Telegraph Hill Neighborhood As-
sociation: destruction of house
and after- work of residents, 88;
represented on committee to pass
on applications for housing, 133
Temporary Aid and Transportation,
Committee on (Sub-committee I) :
chairman of, 125; grants of money
by, 120
Tenement Houses: erected by San
Francisco Relief and Red Cross
Funds, 219, 220; expenditure for
construction of, total and average,
220, 221
Tent Record Sheet: reproduced, 430
Tents: not barracks, needed, 70; pro-
vision of, in first days, 69; registered
families living in. May, 1906, 72,
73; supplied refugees free of charge,
82,83
Theft of Relief Supplies, 32
Tiburon: location of, 3
31 48
Time: elapsing between application
and grant, 126, 163-165,370
Toilets: in cottages removed from
camps, 231, 232; in houses built
under bonus plan, 248; in houses of
applicants aided under grant and
loan plan, 267
Tools: applications for, granted and
refused, 153, 154; appHcations for,
passed upon by sub-committees
and by members of Rehabilitation
Committee, 160; early requests for,
13; grants of different amounts for,
165; investigations of applications
for, 117; principal and subsidiary
grants for, number and amount,
157) 15S; reasons for refusal of
applications for, 166; re-opening of
cases where principal grant was for,
161, 162; sewing machines and fur-
niture, recommendations regarding,
by Dr. Devine, 16, 17; supplied by
Red Cross, 14; supplying of, by Bu-
reau of Special Relief and Rehabili-
tation Committee, 149, 150
ToRNEY, Col. G. H.: establishment of
free dispensaries by advice of, 93;
in charge of sanitary work, 90
Trade: applicants and others in fami-
lies aided under grant and loan
plan who were engaged in, 262, 263;
applicants to Associated Charities
who were engaged in, 294, 295, 296;
business status of applicants re-
ceiving aid for rehabilitation in,
196,197,206-208; men and women
in families aided under bonus plan
who were engaged in, 244; men
and women in families aided under
cottage plan who had been engaged
in, 226, 227; nature of investment
required by person starting in, 206
Transportation: applicants to As-
sociated Charities who were en-
gaged in, 294, 295, 296; business,
status of applicants receiving aid
for rehabilitation in, 196, 199,
200. See also Transportation of
Refugees
Transportation Bureau: merged with
permanent Rehabilitation Commit-
tee, 60; work of Mr. Cushing at,
59. See also Transportation Com-
mittee; Transportation of Refugees
I
INDEX
Transportation Committee: organ-
ized by railroad olTicials, 59;
persons sent to specified destina-
tions by (second period), 66. See
also Transportation Bureau; Trans-
portation of Refugees
Transportation Companies: free pas-
sage given by, 58. See also Rail-
roads
Transportation of Refugees: appli-
cations for, granted and refused,
153, 154; applications for, passed
upon by sub-committees and by
single members of Rehabilitation
Committee, 160; by American
National Red Cross, 35; cases,
investigation of, 117; character-
istics of refugees given, 65; des-
tinations of those sent from San
Francisco, 66, 67; estimate (x\u-
gust) of amount required for, 121;
grants of different amounts for, 165;
justified as rehabilitation measure,
65; letters offering hospitality to
applicants for, 64, 65; periods of
work defined and characterized, 58,
59, 60; principal and subsidiary
grants for, number and amount,
157) 158; reasons for asking,
granting, and refusing, 61, 62, 63,
166; re-opening of cases where
principal grant was for, 161; re-
quests for, types of, 61, 62, 63;
single and widowed inmates of
Ingleside Camp who applied ' for,
347; suppHed by Red Cross, 14;
terms of, 68; value at reduced rates
of, 68
Transportation of Refugees, Com-
mittee on: a sub-committee of
Citizens' Committee, 58
Transportation of Supplies: ar-
rangements regarding, made by
committee on relief of the hungry,
38
Troops, Federal: policing of northern
part of city assigned to, 11; prompt
arrival of and patrol by, 5. See
also Army
Trucks ant) Trucking: arrangements
regarding, made by sub-committee
on rehef of the hungry, 38
Trustees of Relief and Red Cross
Funds, Board of: appointment
of, 29, 401; contributions to As-
Trustees of Relief and Red Cross
Funds, Board of {continued)
sociated Charities by, 309; grants
given by, to applicants refused aid
by Rehabilitation Committee, 210
Typhoid Fever: cases in San Fran-
cisco following disaster, 91
Unemployed: special work provided
for, by Associated Charities, 304,
305
United Irish Societies: case of dupli-
cation through, 159; grants on
recommendations of, compared
wdth other grants, 140; recommen-
dations of, acceptance by Reha-
bilitation Conmiittee, 138; recom-
mendations specially marked by
paucity of facts and high scale of
expenditure, 139
United States: cash contributions for
relief of San Francisco made in
cities and to^n of, 34; natives of,
among refugees, 74, 76, 77; natives
of, in San Francisco in 1900, 74;
recognition of Finance Committee
by President of, 10
University of California Hospital:
donation to, 35
Utah: persons sent from San Francisco
to, 66
Vacation School: proposed, in Golden
Gate Park, 78
Vallejo: difficulty in transporting
flour from, 37
Vienna: contribution made by secre-
tary of American Embassy at, 34
Voluntary Service: importance of,
in rehef work, 27
Voorsanger, Rabbi: chairman of
sub-committee on rehef of the
hungry, 36; member of Rehabilita-
tion Committee of Finance Com-
mittee, 21; member of special
committee, 15
Wages received by men and women
working, in families aided imder the
cottage plan, 227, 228
482
INDEX
Wage Workers: in San Francisco,
more highly paid than in any other
part of United States, 296
War Department: claims paid by, 98;
judgment of auditor of, on ac-
counts of Corporation, 99; report
to, by Colonel Febiger, cited, 39-40
War Ships in Harbor: rendered aid, 7
Warehouse, Central: recommenda-
tion of Dr. Devine regarding, 17
Warehouses: army, burned, 39; es-
tablished by sub-committee on
relief of the hungry, 37; for cloth-
ing and household furnishings, de-
partments in, 56
Washington (State): persons sent
from San Francisco to, 66
Williams, Thomas H.: offer of race
track buildings at Ingleside by, 322
WoLLENBERG, C. M.: command of
Ingleside Camp assumed by, 324;
employment and discipline of in-
mates at Ingleside Camp under, 326
Woman's Alliance: recreation pro-
vided by, at Ingleside Camp, 326
Work: lack of, a reason for leaving
city among certain classes of
workers, 62. See also Employ-
ment; Occupations
Wyoming: persons sent from San
Francisco to, 66
Yerba Buena Island: Naval Training
Station on, 7
Young Men's Hebrew Association:
refugees in line at, 36; use of, by
committee on relief of the hungry^
37
483
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